#13 - DRAUPADI

ONE IN EIGHT (GODDESSES)

It is observed that ‘Women in epics’ have been responsible for elimination of evils from the world. Draupadi in her lifetime suffered a lot but she could prove the tenacity, the will, the faith of character .The glory of avatar in completion of purpose of ending the evils and the vicious is partly realized through Draupadi.
Draupadi is the most chaste daughter of Maharaja Drupada an incarnation of goddess Sasi, the wife of Indra . Draupadi was born next to Drashtadyumna after a great sacrifice by Drupada.
Draupadi , unfortunately was a victim of her own extraordinary beauty that inflamed the desire in the hearts of men. She seemed to attract violence and wrecked vengeance thereafter. On each occasion she fought the outrage with matchless courage, assurance, skill and presence of mind. She was veritably a goddess of war. Krishna treats Draupadi as his sister pledges his friendship to Draupadi and vows to show the world the greatest example of friendship. He protects her whenever and wherever she asks him for the help.
Draupadi’s special characteristic fight against an injustice reflected as Parvathi or Shakti, or Kali. Draupadi was also avatar of Goddess Shree or Wealth. we find in Draupadi, a composite avatar of Kali, Parvati, Sachi, Shyamala, Usha, Bharati, Shree, Swaha, the eight goddesses. Naradapurana also tells as Draupadi was composite Avatar of Goddesses Shyamala (wife of Dharma), Bharati (Wife of Vayu), Sachi (wife of Indra), Usha (wife of Ashwinis) and hence married their earthly counterparts in the form of the five Pandavas. Enraged at a jest by Parvathi, Shyamala, Sachi and Usha, Brahma cursed them to human birth. Parvathi thought of the solution wherein they will be born as one woman, Draupadi and hence share the earthly body for a smaller period of time. Draupadi is worshipped as Draupadi Amman in South India as a personification of Shakthi, and called as Parshati , Panchali , Draupadi , Shri , Yajnaseni .

ONE IN FIVE (Swayamvara )

As in sloka '"Ahalya Draupadi Kunti Tara Mandodari tatha panchakanya svaranityam mahapataka nashakam" Draupadi is one in five Panchakanyas. She was also one wife to five husbands.
Draupadi was a daughter of Drupad king of Panchala and sister of Dhrishtadyumna. As Arjuna defeated Drupad he wanted a great warrior like Arjuna to be married to Draupadi. She was known for her beauty, valorous and fearless conduct, humanitarian compassion and pity. She was true incarnation of perfect humanity terse and soft. Draupadi was very brave and beautiful. She was equally intelligent. Draupadi put a condition for her marriage as she would
wed the prince who would pierce the eye of the rotating wooden fish by looking at its reflection. Her swayamvara was arranged in Kampilya .
A pole was erected in the courtyard at the tip of which a rotating device was fixed. A wooden fish was mounted on the top this device. A water tub was kept at the bottom for reflection of the fish to be seen. The competitors were asked to hit the eye of fish with an arrow through this reflection in one chance. Many princes including Duryodana , Jarasanda, Shisupala, Shalya, Karna, Arjuna and other pandavas tried their luck. Arjuna in the disguise of a Brahmin was liked by Draupadi and Krishna.
When Karna came, Krishna alerted and pointed Draupadi to object as it was likely that this great archer could win. Draupadi then said she wants his credentials, details of parents, status and she had no desire to marry him. This caused hatred and anger to Karna as he was the son of charioteer. .Duryodhana then protested and sought her apology. Then Duryodhana and Karna left the court of king Drupad, with a vow to avenge the insult at some later time. Arjuna then pierced the eye of the fish. So Draupadi was pleased and put the garland in the neck of Arjuna and they were married.
Lord Krishna and Balaram were present on this occasion. Though Arjun married Draupadi, destiny changed it as otherwise strangely. Pandavas on seeing their mother, just wanted to introduce Draupadi in a jocular way said as”come and see our alms today". It caused confusion as though they were talking about the food they had received, and said to them to divide the same amongst themselves and enjoy. This command then forced to make a wife being divided amongst the five brothers. Then Sri Krishna advised the Pandavas to accept Draupadi as common wife of all the five brothers. Thus Draupadi, also known as Panchali, became wife of five brothers. Narada then advised the Pandavas to honour the privacy of Draupadi when she was alone with any other brother. All the brothers agreed not to enter the room of Draupadi when she was with other brother .Otherwise they would be forced to self exile as the punishment. But as Draupadi's swamvara details were known to Duryodana in Hastinapuram, he consulted Karna and he advised to wage a war against Pandavas.
Draupadi though married to five Pandava men, i.e.,polyandry , she was all alone , with no protection, no care, and with no love from anybody. She lamented to Krishna as she is without any husband, brother or son. Even Krishna was not mine” (Vana Parva 10.125 ) . But He is bound to protect her ever, as she was related, renowned, sakhi and He rules over all.” (Vana Parva 10.127). Her husbands could neither offer nor protect the respect and honour that a woman should have as a wife and as a mother. All that they succeeded was making her into a queen. The five Pandavas through Draupadi begot a son each, Yudhishtra begot a son named Pratibhit, Bhima begot Sutasoma, Arjuna begot Srutakirthi, Nakula begot Satanika, and Sahadeva begot Srutakarma .

ONE IN HUNDRED (stripping saree )

Duryodana felt happy to note a way from his maternal uncle Sakuni, to drive Pandavas out of Indraprastha without any fight and shedding of any blood. As Yudhishtra was very fond of the game of dice, he had plans in inviting him for a game and with a trick to defeat him; he can win his kingdom and wealth easily. Yudhishtra was confident of defeating Duryodana but felt diffident against Sakuni as he is an expert player. Initially gold, silver and ornaments were wagered and Yudhishtra lost one by one. His chariots, servants, horses, armies were lost then which were kept as pledge. After loosing step brothers Nakula and sahadeva, Bhima and Arjuna became wagers. At last Draupadi became a victim to this game. Duryodana then roared like a lion and declared Draupadi as his maid and dragged her to the assembly. With exceeding limits of decency he ordered to pull out Draupadi’s sari.

When Duryodhana commands the Pandavas to strip themselves in the manner of dasa, they obeyed by stripping off their upper garments. Then Kauravas demand the same from Draupadi who refuses. Then to the horror of everybody present, Dushasana tries to strip Draupadi of her sari. Seeing her husbands unable or unwilling to help her, Draupadi prays to Lord Krishna to protect her. A miracle occurs henceforward, which is popularly attributed to Krishna. As Dushasana unwraps layers and layers of her sari, her sari keeps getting extended. Bhima is furious at Dushasana and said as he will tear open Dushasana's chest and drink his blood, he will not show his face to his ancestors." Finally, a tired Dushasana backs off without being able to strip Draupadi.
Duryodhana repeatedly challenges Yudhishthira’s four brothers to disassociate themselves from Yudhishthira’s authority and take their wife back. No one dares to denounce their loyalty to their eldest brother. In order to provoke the Pandavas further, Duryodhana bares and pats his thigh looking into Draupadi’s eyes, implying that she should sit on his thigh. In rage Bhima vows in front of the entire assembly that one day he will break that very thigh of Duryodhan in battle.
Finally, the blind monarch Dhritarashtra's conscience is stirred, in part fearing the wrath of Pandavas against his sons. He intervenes and asks Draupadi to wish for whatever she desires. Draupadi asks her husbands the Pandavas to be freed from bondage. Dhritarashtra grants her wish and also restores to Pandavas all they lost in the game of dice. Free from the bondage Bhima immediately proposes to his brothers to slay all Kauravas present then and there itself. Yudhishthira and Arjuna prevent him from taking any rash action. After many words of reconciliation between Pandavas and Dhritarashtra, Pandavas withdraw to their kingdom along with Draupadi and their entourage.

ONE IN TEN THOUSAND

Duryodana asked Durvasa to accept the hospitality of his cousin Yudhishtra and brothers with all his pupils ten thousand in number. He has suggested going when Draupadi has finished meals and taking rest thereafter. Duryodana thought after Draupadi had taken her meal, cooking utensils granted to her by the Sun God could yield no more food. Durvasa could make out the real motive of Duryodana's request, but granted his request. Accordingly Durvasa one day appeared in Karunyaka , a forest with his ten thousand pupils . Yudhishtra and four brothers received with respects a honoured guest and invited him to take his meal. Durvasa then took bath in river and came back. Draupadi then felt much disturbed and prayed Lord Krishna to rescue her from the calamity. KRISHNA- KRISHNA MAHA BA HO DEVAR NANDANA VYA YAM | VASUDEVA JAGANNATHA PRANATARTI VINASHANA || Hearing the pitiable call from Draupadi, Sri Krishna reached there and ate the single grain of rice in the Akshaya Patra. Sri Krishna with Rukmani came in haste from Dwaraka immediately and rushed to Karunyaka forest and met Draupadi. Draupadi felt happy on seeing the lord and started telling the predicament with which she was faced. But Lord just said he himself is in hungry. Draupadi told her difficulty in procuring food and there is nothng to eat. Lord Krishna immediately asked to bring the vessel presented to her by the Sun God to show it to him. But Lord was able to find a
vegetable leaf sticking in the vessel and said to her that this leaf is enough to satisfy all the 3 worlds. Meantime
Durvasa and ten thousand pupils felt their stomach has been loaded up to the very throat. So Durvasa asked
him to leave the place immediately. As Pandavas are devotees of Krishna and have invited them for meals, it is not proper to say as their stomach being filled up.Hearing Durvasa's word all ten thousand puplis immediately dispersed and ran away in different directions. Krishna invited Pandavas to Dwaraka and told “Those who are constantly devoted to the virtuous conduct never suffer".
Draupadi was a devotee of Sri Krishna and had an unshakable faith in Him and regarded him as the protector, well- wisher and intimate friend. As said in last ‘one in hundred ‘when Dusasana tried to bare her in the Kauravas court ,nobody among the present raised a voice against it. So immediately , Draupadi called and cried to Lord Krishna to save her grace as GOVIND DWARAKAWASI KRISHNA GOPI JANA PRIRYA | KAURAVAIH PARIBHUTAM MAM KIM NA JANASI KESHAVA || Lord Krishna appeared then as the clothes of Draupadi. With the kindness of Lord Krishna, Draupadi's sari increased many fold. Dusasana was then tired of drawing her sari but he could not find the end of it. It was a miracle of the God to save his devotee.

ONE IN ZERO

Draupadi has five husbands but she has none. She had five sons and was never a mother, No joy, no sense of victory, no honor as wife, no respect as mother, but only the status of queen. It is not money or position that makes any one great. No one in this world can escape troubles and difficulties. Draupadi was the queen of the five Pandavas. Subhadra was Krishna’s sister and the wife of Arjuna. Even they had to suffer so much. One has to develop the strength to bear the trials of life. We should resolve firmly not harm the good people, and not to bend before the wicked. The Dhramya vartana of Draupadi is well portrayed as, even at the time of great stress, sorrow, difficulty, one never must deviate from the path of truth, Dharma.
'Do not mock others on their frailities otherwise results can be disastrous'-Draupadi mocked at Duryodana calling him the 'blind son of a blind father'and this remark pricked straight into the heart of Duryodana who nursed it for an occasion of revenge. That also a remark though jocularly made, became the potent cause of Mahabharatha.
When battle of Mahabharatha came to an end, Aswathama saw his friend Duyodana in a pitiable condition. Out of wrath he took a sinister vow to kill pandavas while sleeping. In dark nighr he then entered Pandavas camp and killed all the five sons of Draupadi recklessly by chopping off their heads. But Duryodana
condemned this action. Lord Krishna asked Arjuna to take action against the attacker. Arjuna chased Aswathama and brought before Draupadi bound with hard ropes. But Draupadi asked to unfasten and set him free, as Aswathama’s wife will then undergo unbearable pangs. Humanity nature of Draupadi on
another woman even when she was affected by him is most laudable one.

ONE IN TWO

The Hindus can be proud of two great epics Ramayana and Maha Bharatha, which were composed by two great sages Valmiki and Vyasas and they are called as Ithihasas. The term Ithihasa indicates that episodes in them are real and true and the characters therein had actually gone through several vicissitudes. Their experiences had been embroidered excellently in the main theme, each one throwing valuable lessons to help posterity to set everything in order. Mahabharatha epic relates the story of two princely families and the heroic deeds of valour which were performed in the Great War fought by the two branches. There are characters and there are events which if rightly understood can become the guiding principles of our life for all times. Women Characters in Mahabharatha if properly understood, the lessons that are imparted can go a long way in making our life great and glorious, honest and honorable. Numbers such as one wife to five husbands is just for the sake of sharing one’s responsibilities and adhere Dharma at all levels. One can achieve perfection and reach God solely guided by the twin factors Righteousness and Truth (Dharmam and Satyam) ..

ONE IN MANY

As there may be many errors, I just want to conclude this with one word ‘pardon’ as in the sloka in SriVishnu Sahasranama parayanam
Yadakshara padabhrshtam maatraa heenam tu yad bhavet / Tat sarvam kshayataam deva narayana nmamosthuthe // Visarga bhindu maatraani padapaadaa ksharaani cha / nyoonaani chatiriktaani kshamaswa purushothama //
Which states as "I may have erred whilst construction of, writing of, pronouncing of, sentences, words, consonants, improper grammar, verb, vowels, of the prayers . I may also have forgotten punctuation marks due to my ignorance in understanding the heavenly idiom, Oh my lord May flaws be overlooked for they are out of my ignorance again. I seek you to pardon me for all the commissions and commissions for they are involuntary and kindly bless me for the endeavor".