My Bharatha - Draupadi

Madhubani painiting of Draupadi

Mahabharatha is not an epic. It is greatest tragdey  of Indian Literature according to me. Every character there is living a hell. More so with women. Whether it is Kunti who though married to a king, loses him and has to roam through forest to bring up her children, who could never  see her children really happy and peaceful, or it is Gandhari, the daughter of Gandhara king, but married to a blind prince who could not be king because if this disability, who is even blind for the wrong doings of his children, who is unable to stop her children from their evil ways and finally loses all her children in the war. or it is Draupadi who has to face the shame of her saree being pulled infront of the entire royal court by her own brother in law and whose five husbands were mute witnesses to this.

What was here fault in this? She like all other princesses or like all other young girls had dreams about her life partner. He should be the bravest, strongest and whom nobody can defeat. So she asked her father to arrange a competition in archery. And the Pandava prince Arjuna won the competition. This should have brought the story to a happy ending. But no. Instead this started her long journey through hell. Well one version of the story says that Kunti misheard that Arjuna brought a Hennu (girl) as Hannu(fruit) and asked the sons to share equally. Another version says that  she did not want her sons to be divided on the behalf of a girl so she asked Draupadi to wed all of them. Kunti is also a woman. She should have understood how difficult it is to be a wife to five husbands. Anyways she was married to panch pandavas. And she gave birth to five sons who are just called upa pandavas - we never even hear their names.

Then came the dyuta - the dice gambling. Duryodhana invites Yudhistira to gambling. And he keeps losing everything in the game. Then he loses himself, his brothers and also his wife. Now Karna says Draupadi is now our dasi - servant. She should not wear these beautiful sarees, bring her here and remove her saree. Dushasana - brother of Duryodhana brings Draupadi to royal court and starts pulling her saree. Bhishma - the great grand father, Dritharashtra - the father in law, Drona - the royal guru - and here five husbands all watch this  humiliating outrageous shame in horror. But do not stop Dushasana. Then Draupadi pleads to Krishna who makes her saree infinitely long so that her honor is saved.

During Ajnatavasa, where all pandavas and Druapadi have to live in disguise, Druapadi will be Sairandhri - the servant of Queen of Virata. But queen's brother Keechaka tries to seduce her and she will be saved by Bheema.

And ultimately the Mahabharatha war is fought and won by Pandavas. But what does she get? All her sons are slain in their sleep by Ashwathama - who thought they are Pandavas and in order to revenge the death of his father Drona , kills the sleeping Upa pandavas.

Was our country so cruel to women even thousands of years ago?

If you are not familiar with the story read Mahabharatha from here