#vastraharan

[aru-loves-krishnaxarjuna]

Mahabharata AU—pt.3

Masterlist<– rest of the parts here

"Madhav...your Parthavi needs you..."

Somewhere in the middle of a battlefield, amongst bloodshed, stood a magnificent chariot, where Dwarkadhish Vasudev Krishna was stationed in its seat, the reigns in his hands. Angry tears slipped down from his lotus-shaped eyes down his dusky face. They dare treat His Parthavi like this..?

No, not only His Parthavi, but hundreds and thousands of women were treated like this. What had this world even become?

Protecting his lover was his priority now...

•.───── ❁🏹❁ ───•.•─── ❁🏹❁ ─────.•

"Dusshasan i am telling you, stop this right now!" Karna urged. He couldn't see this continue any longer. So what if he used to be rivals with the Gandivdhari, she was his sister. For a woman, her respect is more valuable than her life.

As the saree was almost stripped off of her body, something happened. A storm inside the hall started suddenly. The flame torches burst into explosions. Everyone looked confused. But Dusshasan didn't stop, he continued pulling. But this saree was not looking like it would strip off of her at all. As much as it was pulled, the more it extended. Courtesy to Krishna...

While the one who stood near the game board, the one whose saree was being pulled, had closed her eyes, letting happen whatever was going to happen. All she wanted feeling now was oblivion, to be unconscious to everything...

"Duryodhan! Stop this right now!" Karna shouted. He never called Duryodhan by his name so the latter was shocked. "Why Mitra Karna!? You never–!"

"I am telling you! JUST STOP IT!–" By then Dusshasan had fell down due to exhaustion and the Vastraharan of his sister had finally stopped. Even though Phalgun was covered in apparels of cloth, everyone else's dupattas, headgears or crowns, as well as jewelleries had fell down.

Krishna had let everyone get disrobed, yet not his Parthavi.

Arjuni now stood there in all her wrathful glory, in the middle of the court, glowing for some unknown reason. Her saree stained with her blood flowing down from her wounds. Conspicuous strains of tears were running down her cheeks from her hawk-like eyes, red from anger yet again.

Raaj Maata Kunti, Maharani Gandhari and Samraggini Draupadi entered just then, terrified at the sight in front of them. What scared them, the two who could see that is, was the blood trails on the floor and the wrathful yet battered form of Kirti in the middle of the whole, vast room.

"A-aryaputri!–" Agnisutaa tried to rush towards her wife but

"No!" Arjuni stepped back, snapping her arm, pointing her finger towards her to stop right there, her booming, velvety voice stopping Draupadi, and scaring the rest. "Do not come near me. No one even dare to come to me, or i will get besmirched..." she was taking deep angry breaths between talking. Vijayaa slowly lowered her arm and steadied herself.

This time, something happened even nore shocking.....

[blackknight-100]

Random thoughts that keep me awake at night (Part I)

Sometimes, I wonder what relationship Karna and Vikarna had, especially after the Vastraharan, when Karna openly scorned Vikarna.

Did they ever talk about it afterwards? Did Karna apologise or did they agree to cooperate for Duryodhan's sake?

Or did they forever hedge around it, and died with that regret?

For some reason, I think it's the last.

[hinducosmos]

Vastra Haran – Gopies demanding their clothes from Krishna Based on the story of the Bhagavata Purana Circa 1800. Kangra, Pahari @National Museum, New Delhi

📷 Photographer: Kevin Standage (via Kevin Standage - An Indian travel photography blog)

[vasudaivakutumbakam]

— just keep breathing

[This is a little snippet I did a while back on the thoughts of Draupadi during the 13 year vanvaas. Basically it’s my interpretation of what Draupadi must have been thinking about her whole situation. So it’s not exactly canon but it might be pretty close. Hope you guys like it ^^]

My lungs burned for air. The humiliation I have been through still floats around the air around me, wherever I went. But I kept this as a reminder for the eventual slaughter of those wretched brothers.

However, I couldn’t help but ask, why was this happening? What had I done in my previous life that I have to endure this?

The least the elders could have done was scold Duryodhana, tell him to stop? If only they had stopped.

If only I had brought a dagger with me.

If only my husbands stopped them, despite being slaves.

Surely the king of Hastinapur would have given our assets back? No, he would have stopped my humiliation if he did care. He only sees his son. Love and ambition clouds his judgement.

Tears threatened to cloud my vision. I won’t cry. I shouldn’t.

They do not deserve my tears, neither my husbands or those…monsters.

‘Just keep breathing.’ Krishna had said to me.

The only person in the entire world to save me at the most loneliest and vulnerable point in my life.

I took a deep breath and let it out.

I remembered his face, his voice, immediately giving me serenity. In this darkened world, my only solace is Krishna.

But my husbands, they were not there when I needed them the most. Hopefully, my unbraided hair will be a remembrance for them, every year, every month, every week, every second of the days and nights to come.

What good are the vows if not taken seriously?

But alas, I had only become a wife to the 5 brothers by accident. By a complication, an error in grammar.

And my previous life boon.

Otherwise I would be Arjuna’s wife. Perhaps then, Yudhisthira would have no authority over me.

This would not have happened if I was Arjuna’s wife.

This would not have happened if I was any of the 4 brother’s except Yudhithira’s wife.

‘Just keep breathing…’

Madhusudhana’s voice resounded out of nowhere.

Was he looking out for me? Was he trying to console me through his spiritual potency?

He was.

This will all be over soon, I have to endure.

Afterall,

              I just have to keep breathing.

[avani008]

Hello! I recently came across this theory in which Karna insults Draupadi and orders Dusshasana to disrobe her with the intention of "provoking" the pandavas into doing something for her or at least speak up for her. What do you think?

I…think that is quite the reach, I’m afraid. For one thing, while Draupadi is understandably distraught as soon as she is dragged in, the sequence of events is different from what we usually see in tv versions, where Duryodhana’s taunt, Karna’s telling her to choose another husband, etc all happen AFTER the vastraharan. And truthfully, even allowing for that to be Karna’s motivation, that would make me dislike him more: he can come up with this insane, outrageous plan to put all the responsibility on the Pandavas, but not stand up to his friends to stop it? Just—let Karna own his villainy in this scene (I speak to the retellings that have him sobbing off to the side as this happens rather than being an enthusiastic participant. The first is just pathetic, IMO; the second is actually interesting.)

Another remark of Karna that I find often gets changed from how I, at least, interpret it is the “Draupadi has saved her husbands” remark at the end of the dice game. I often come across it being seen as reluctant admiration for her on Karna’s part and….it’s not? Karna’s being a jerk and jeering at the Pandavas, as well as being sexist, for being rescued by a woman/Dhritrashtra freaking out and returning everything. He’s not being kind at all, which is why Bhima snaps about his weird our-sons-are-dishonored-by-the-insult-to-Draupadi comment  immediately afterwards (and Arjuna calms him down). 

[hinducosmos]

Lord Krishna, Gopi Vastraharan (via eBay: Mkarthandicrafts)

[hinducosmos]

Krishna teasing the Gopis as he hides their clothes when they bathe A contemporary print of a vintage Indian devotional poster/print. (via Etsy: Easternimage)

[hinducosmos]

Lord Krishna - Gopi Vastraharan Artist: B.G. Sharma. Publisher: Sharma Picture Publication (via eBay: Julieeshop)