"SHE SAVES HERSELF, IT'S HER DHARMA THAT SAVES HER"
I always wanted to say so about Draupadi and the episode of Vastraharan. Before reading BORI CE, I had seen many versions of Vastraharan on TV serials. But after reading the original version, I realized how the serials had either overdone it or underdone it, snatching the actual essence of what the Vastraharan was for.
First of all, there was no instance in Mahabharat which claims Draupadi had insulted Duryodhan/Karn to make them go mad over the fact that they were made fun of by her.
No, there was no such instance.
Duryodhan was very jealous of the wealth and property that the Pandavas had obtained, it's clearly written in the texts how he was literally shivering in jealousy witnessing the glory of Pandavas. He wanted to snatch it all, and hence the plan.
Now comes the actual Vastraharan episode.
I know, many of you guys are extremely angry on Yudhishthir for what he does and the anger is justified enough. I am NOT justifying Yudhishthir or his actions, but actually asking you guys to think, think what would've you done in his place? This man was repeatedly scammed at first thinking that it would be a FRIENDLY MATCH between Duryodhan and himself. And Yudhishthir was a poor player of dice, Krishna himself confirms in the text. Also, Yudhishthir had always said how competing on dice would leave to grave consequences. But it's Duryodhan who persuades him to play. Now, it would really be cowardly for the Samrat to reject a game of dice like that.
Honestly speaking anyone could've said he could've denied it, but he cannot! He cannot because Kings when invited for Dyut had to play, or otherwise they would be tagged as cowards or insults! So at the most what Yudhishthir could do was to try and persuade the Kauravas to drop the idea, which he actually did in the texts, but they didn't give a damn about it.
The game begins, and what Yudhishthir had feared initially happens. He starts losing bouts of wealth, his army, and then the Kingdom he made out of sweat and blood. At this point, the elders, specially Vidur intervenes.
He asks Yudhishthir to stop, but he's at such a position that he cannot. Imagine your entire kingdom is lost, and now you have a bit of hope that you can win it back at the next game, will you actually play or let it go?
Like, don't sugarcoat yourself guys, think about the possibility! It's like you're drowning and playing next is like the branch that would save you, won't your mind flicker? Won't you take a chance to save yourself?
This is what exactly Yudhishthir does, and again he loses his youngest brother Sahadev. Still he hopes he would get everything back, because he had no option. Ofcourse he could've refused playing by now, technically yes. But deep down Yudhishthir knew what calamities can happen if he would try to win everything back by force, so he takes the chance again- and loses Nakul, Bheem and Arjun.
And at last, he loses himself as well.
Now Duryodhan plays the last and crucial move with Shakuni. He asks Draupadi to be staked, and this stuns the Pandavas.
Their KINGDOM is gone, their WEAPONS are gone, and now they're practically the slaves of the Kauravas, and at this time Duryodhan asks Draupadi to be staked. Duryodhan always knew what could break the Pandavas to the core- and that was seeing Draupadi in tatters. So this guy practically renders the Pandavas helpless, and then takes his dig on Draupadi.
And boom! Yudhishthir loses Draupadi too! This is the point where the elders lose their temper, mostly Vidur, and asks Yudhishthir to do something and stop this nonsense, but everything was already done.
Duryodhan sends his own messenger to Draupadi's chamber and tells him to get her.
Now comes the very interesting part.
The ground slips from under Draupadi when she hears the news, but instead of accompanying the messenger, she asks him to question the Sabha that how can Yudhishthir stake her when he already loses himself in the game?
Very valid question by her.
The messenger comes back, and it's clearly written in the texts that he was scared of Draupadi. (Take a note, those who call her "scaredy cat" ). Duryodhan gets angry now, and sends Dushassan behind Draupadi.
Draupadi pleads Dushassan at first, for she was bleeding that time, but when he refuses to listen, she warns him about the consequences. Even that doesn't work, and Dushassan starts dragging a single-garment clad Draupadi to the court. Draupadi is angered, but never scared. Yes, as per the texts she wasn't scared, she was trying her best to SAVE herself from his grip, but Dushassan was obviously proving stronger than her.
Draupadi gets dragged to the court, in a really bad state and is hurled. In the texts, she was said to be hurled like a tree is done by the strong winds, so mucg that she faints for sometime.( My heart starts wrenching while writing.) But Draupadi being Draupadi ( I don't know how this woman had so much self restrain even at this situation), you won't believe this woman actually pleads the court to forgive her them to see her in that state, means she had not washed her hairs since she was in her menses and it wasn't appropriate for someone to appear in a court in such a dishevelled state. Can you imagine the precision of this woman? The mental power, the collectiveness she had?
The story isn't done. Draupadi is taken aback seeing her husbands in that condition. She constantly shoots painful glances at them, and the Pandavas are broken. Bheem yells in anger, warns Dusshasan and Duryodhan but nothing works. Now Draupadi, again stabilizing herself, holding herself questions the Sabha what right Yudhishthir had on her since he himself was lost in the game? How could the Sabha stoop this low to let it happen?
This is when the wretched Karn steps out and says how Draupadi has now been won, she's their slave. He calls her whore and laughs loudly, and orders Dushassan to disrobe her. That man stoops so low, that he asks Draupadi to "serve" the Kauravad sexually, and choose a husband from the Kauravas because her husbands are of no use ( Atp, I wanted to kill him, strangle him).
Vidur intervenes, but even Vikarn too. But Vikarn is again shut up by Karn who calls him a coward and asks him to mind his own business.
Bheeshm is shaken, but he couldn't do anything. He says it was the decision of the Pandavas, and that Draupadi has no choice here. Either she becomes a slave with Yudhishthir, accepting the status of a wife with a husband, or separates herself from the Pandavas. If she choses to separate from the Pandavas, she has no option but to go to the Kaurava's side technically since they won her. So all and all, Draupadi was put in a helpless spot by Dharma ( Bheeshm calls it the subtle nuance of Dharma in text).
That's when Draupadi feels that none of them could resolve the situation and she also knows what was going to follow. This woman finally resorts or rather surrenders to the power of Dharma, which is Krishna ( BORI doesn't mention Krishna explicitly, but calls it the force of Dharma. But for me, Dharma is Krishna.) This woman surrenders her entire self whole heartedly to the supreme Lord. She knows only Dharma is the one that would save her, she knows she HAS DONE NO WRONG, AND THAT DHARMA WAS IN HER SIDE.
At this moment, for anyone the situation is so traumatic that you can end up passing out, but this woman, my God, this woman just KNOWS what is meant for her. Her righteousness shall save her, her purity shall save her. Draupadi knows who she is, Draupadi knows she has done no wrong, Draupadi knows she's innocent, Draupadi knows that it's Dharma who wins at last.
Such was her faith, her stance. If this isn't boldness, then what is? If this isn't her strength then what is? Imagine her situation that moment, she was moments close of getting disrobed and in an inappropriate situation, that moment too she is in her entire consciousness. She knows what would help her.
Dushassan tries to disrobe Draupadi, much to the cries of the Pandavas, and that wretched guy feels like he has touched something he shouldn't touch. Yards of cloth extends and covers Draupadi, and yes, Draupadi's righteousness saves herself.
I want to draw your attention how Draupadi was strong till the last end, neither did she BEGGED anyone to save herself, nor did she herself PITY her own condition. Nor she was whimpering or crying, like how people like to show her or something. She BEGGED none, she RELIED on none but her own self. She relied on her strong belief in Krishna, her righteousness and Dharma. At that moment, it was the fight of Draupadi and Dharma against Kauravas.
Righteousness was such that if it didn't save Draupadi, it would've put itself to shame that day.
The story isn't over yet...
Dhritarashtra gets extremely scared now, for he senses the power which Draupadi had. The old King who was enjoying everything, suddenly shudders. He pleads Draupadi to forgive his sons, and asks Draupadi to ask for 3 boons.
Draupadi accedes. She saw her husbands. The helplessness of fate that had rendered them so. And even after so much, she had utter and immense faith in the five of them. She had the belief that the five would rise this time, and shall avenge her. The five of them were enough for it. (And that's why I say why Pandavas and Draupadi were one of the most ideal couples in Mahabharat. There is no concept of Draupadi throwing her chudamani away, or showing pure anger that time. Yes, she was upset and angry, but not so much that she wouldn't understand 5their situation too! She knows what they were going through at that time, it was as traumatic for them as it was for her!)
Draupadi asks Dhritarashtra to free her husbands, that was her first boon. Dhritarashtra agrees immediately. In the next boon, she asks the weapons of Pandavas to be returned. Dhritarashtra agrees to even that, and asks Draupadi to ask for the third boon.
But Draupadi being Draupadi STOPS right there. Yes, she explicitly claims how it is inappropriate for a Kshatrani to be greedy and ask for a third boon, and she has complete faith that her husbands, now free, shall win over and avenge her insult. (ATP, I was literally 🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐 her.)
This woman...this woman, I now realize why Pandavas literally kissed the path she walked upon, for real. This woman knows what she wants, this woman is fearless, this woman is bold, this woman knows exactly what is right and wrong, and this woman SHINES brilliantly, surpassing even the glow of diamonds! This woman is the true example of what true feminism looks like! Believing in herself and her partner without tarnishing the equality of it! She bows to righteousness and chooses the ones who do the same!
She surrenders to Krishna, righteousness and Dharma, in short SHE SAVES HERSELF.
People always pity Draupadi for her Vastraharan, but they don't see how she fights it. They don't understand the power of righteousness at all, but see her as a woman who had no power to fight. Often her surrender to Krishna is looked down upon, like seriously? Surrendering to the Supreme is also a sign of weakness?
Draupadi literally, LITERALLY pulls out the boat which had her and her husbands from drowning from amidst the tempest! She had no weapons, no fighting skills, yet she was able to rescue everyone from the clutches of Duryodhan!
Roughly putting, isn't such a skill more powerful than one having the weapons?
Yet you guys label her as "scaredy cat" and not a Mary Sue, and all?
For me, "shastra ke prayog ke bina hi tumne khudko bacha liya, ye asadharan nahi hai to aur kya?"
In Krishna's words, "Swayam vichar kijiye."
Let others say anything, Draupadi is THE HEROINE of Mahabharat, and in the episode of Vastraharan!
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