Draupadi

"Ahalya for her forbearance is likened to the freshness and active nature of the wind; Tara (all the three women of that name, that is, Harishchandra’s queen, Vali’s wife and Brihaspati’s wife who is Chandra’s beloved) is associated with space and has the quality of intelligence, compassion and large-heartedness; Mandodari with the element of water, turbulent on the surface yet deep and silent in her spiritual quest."

"Draupadi has always been the goddess of the common people. A recent parallel would be the way Meera’s bhajans are sung by the marginalized and lower castes in Rajasthan. The Dropadai Amman Festivals are quite well known and there are night-long dramas (theru-koothu) on the Mahabharata. The political leaders knew this socialeality, so they did not dare to say anything against her or burn the Mahabharata or write nastily about her."

"For the marginalized would have protested in a big way...Even after becoming legends, it is Draupadi who remains a threat to the political animal and so he will not touch even the fringe of her pallu [The loose end of a sari], as he knows what happened when Duhshasana rose to disrobe Draupadi!"

"No, a revengeful woman cannot win...Draupadi is too dramatic to be a role model for the weak and the exploited. Women cannot identify with Draupadi, with all her five husbands, and with Lord Krishna for a personal friend. With her unconventional lifestyle and thirst for vengeance, Draupadi inspires awe."

"Draupadi is also the only kanya to have become a symbol of the oppressed and grossly humiliated Indian nation. While watching a night long street play in the Draupadi Amman Festival, the great Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathi was struck by the powerful appeal she had for common folk and penned an epyllion, Draupadi Sapatham (“Draupadi’s Vow”) depicting her as the wronged princess, the nation-in-shackles, a symbol of perfect surrender to the Divine and the representative of womanhood subjugated for millennia."

"The epithet kanya is applied to these women is because they were not engendered in the usual way “but were created from various elements which compose the universe thereby establishing that their sanctity and chastity is not bound by physical bodies...Ahalya, Sita, Draupadi, Tara and Mandodari are the epitome of chastity and purity but were punished for no fault of theirs. Given the precarious situations they were in, these women still came out unscathed and set examples of being ideal women."

"Mahari dance tradition in which the Oriya verse goes: Pancha bhuta khiti op tejo maruta Byomo Pancha sati nirjyasa gyani bodho Gomyo Ahalya Draupadi Kunti Tara Mandodari totha Pancha kanya..."

"Five elements, earth, water, fire, wind, ether are in essence the five satis. This the wise know Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari - Five virgins...Ahalya personifies water, Draupadi represents fire, Kunti symbolises mother earth, Tara personifies wind and Mandodari ether. Draupadi’s personality personifies fire, while Sita (whom she incongruously includes in the group instead of Kunti) is the daughter of the earth."

"The rajahs then descended from their gorgeous thrones and gathered around Draupadi as the bright gods gather around Párvati, the mountain bride of Shiva. Their hearts were filled with love for the maiden and with hate for one another. Rivals frowned upon rivals. Those who had been close friends became of a sudden angry enemies because that Draupadi was so beautiful. Soon many rajahs strained their arms in vain."

"I am a king's [[daughter, and will not wed with the base-born. . . ."

"He [Arjuna disguised as a Brahmin] drew the cord, and the arrow flew upwards with a hissing sound; it hit the target eye, and the golden fish fell over and clashed upon the ground. The heart of Draupadi was filled with joy, and, smiling coyly, she advanced towards Arjuna and flung the golden bridal garland over his shoulders. Celestial blossoms fluttered, descending through the air, and the sound of celestial music was heard."

"Arjuna took Draupadi by the hand and led her away in peace from that scene of angry strife. So ended the swayamvara, and Krishna declared that the bride had been fairly won."

"The Pandava brethren went towards the house of the potter, and they entered and addressed their mother Pritha, saying: "A great gift have we obtained this day. Said Pritha [Kunti] said "Then share the gift between you, as becomes brethren." Yudhishthira said: "What hast thou said, O mother? The gift is the Princess Draupadi whom Arjuna hath won at the swayamvara.""

"The Pandavas married Draupadi, the Pancala princess, daughter of Drupada, and the Pancalas were the staunch supporters of the Pandavas."

"They [Pandavas] came to Drupada's capital, Kampilya, where Arjuna won Draupadi, the princess, in a svayamvara contest. Hearing of the success of the Pandavas, Dhritarashtra called them back to Hastinapura and gave them the Khandava-Prastha, where Mayasura erected for them a wonderful assembly hall."

"My tongue never uttereth an untruth and my heart never inclineth to what is [sin]ful. When my heart approveth of it, it can never be sinful. I have heard in the Purana that a lady of name Jatila, the foremost of all virtuous women belonging to the race of Gotama had married seven Rishis. So also an ascetic's daughter, born of a tree, had in former times united herself in marriage with ten brothers all bearing the same name of Prachetas and who were all of souls exalted by asceticism. O foremost of all that are acquainted with the rules of morality, it is said that obedience to superior is ever meritorious. Amongst all superiors, it is well-known that the mother is the foremost. Even she hath commanded us to enjoy Draupadi as we do anything obtained as alms. It is for this, O best of Brahmanas, that I regard the (proposed) act [of marriage of all five brothers with Draupadi] as virtuous."

"'O Sankara, I desire to have from thee only one husband possessed of every virtue?"

"Thou hast, O maiden, addressed me five full times, repeating, 'Give me a husband.' Therefore, O amiable one, it shall even be as thou hast asked. Blessed be thou. All this, however, will happen in a future life of thine!**Sankara in:"

"O Drupada, this thy daughter of celestial beauty is that maiden. Indeed, the faultless Krishna sprung from Prishata's race hath been pre-ordained to become the common wife of five husbands. The celestial Sri, having undergone severe ascetic penances, hath, for the sake of the Pandavas, had her birth as thy daughter, in the course of thy grand sacrifice. That handsome goddess, waited upon by all the celestials, as a consequence of her own acts becomes the (common) wife of five husbands. It is for this that the self-create had created her. Having listened to all this, O king Drupada, do what thou desirest."

"The gods have already declared that she will become the wife of all the five Pandava brethren... Pandava brethren were five incarnations of [[w:Indra|Indra, and thus were but as one."

"The enmity and jealousy that develops between the cousins forces the Pandavas to leave the kingdom when their father dies. During their exile the five jointly marry Draupadi (who is born out of a sacrificial fire and whom Arjuna wins by shooting an arrow through a row of targets) and meet their cousin Krishna, who remains their friend and companion thereafter Although the Pandavas return to the kingdom, they are again exiled to the forest, this time for 12 years, when Yudhishthira loses everything in a game of dice with Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas."

"The denuding of Draupadi occurred after the game [dice], but the honour of Draupadi was saved by the grace of Krishna. Dhritarastra, however, returned everything to the Pandavas. Soon afterwards the second game of dice was played in which the stake was that the loser should spend twelve years in the forest and the thirteenth year incognito. This time also Pandavas were defeated and they had to leave for the forest, when Draupadi accompanied them."

"Draupadi, heroine of the Mahabharata epic, is bold and forthright even in adversity. Her husband Yudhisthira succumbing to his weakness for gambling, stakes and loses all (in a rigged game), including his wife. Draupadi challenges the assembly and demands to know how it is possible for one who has staked and lost his own self to retain the right to wager her."

"Duryodhana, the winner of the bet, insists that Draupadi is indeed his to do with as he pleases and orders that she be disrobed. Furious at this insult to her honor, Draupadi loosens her coifed hair and vows that she will not knot it again until she has washed it in Duryodhana's blood. As she is disrobed, the more her sari is pulled away the longer it becomes. It is this event which turns Draupadi from a contented, but strong willed wife into a vengeful goddess."

"Draupadi was appointed as a chambermaid to the queen Sudesna. The Pandavas passed the thirteenth year with great caution, as otherwise they had to repeat a further 12-year exile."

"Draupadi experienced an unpleasant adventure [as chambermaid]. Kicaka, the commander-in-chief and brother-in-law of the king falls in [[love with the pretty chamber-maid and waylays her. But even at the time when she was appointed by the queen, Draupadi had given out that she was the wife of five Gandharvas who would protect her in difficulties."

"The cowherds come to Uttara, the young prince, who has stayed back in the town, and exhort him to march against the Kauravas. But he has no charioteer. Draupadi then mediates through the princess to make Uttara take Arjuna as charioteer."

"After the period of exile, during which the Kauravas try in vain to persecute or even kill them, they demand their rightful kingdom which is, however, denied. A grim battle ensues."

"My brothers have all dropped down here. They must go with me. Without them by me I do not wish to go to Heaven, O lord of all the deities. The delicate princess (Draupadi) deserving of every comfort, O Purandara, should go with us. It behoveth thee to permit this."

"This one is Sree herself. It was for destroying the evil, that she took birth, as the daughter of Drupada, among human beings, issuing not from any mother’s womb, O Yudhishtira, endued with agreeable perfume and capable of delighting the whole world. She was born in the race of Drupada and was enjoyed by you all."

"King Drupada was a great king, king of the Panchalas, and his daughter, Draupadi, famed far and wide for her beauty and accomplishments, was going to choose a hero...at a Svayamvara."

"When all those princes failed in hitting the mark, then the son of King Drupada rose up in the midst of the court and said: "The Kshatriya, the king caste has failed; now the contest is open to the other castes. Let a Brahmana, even a Shudra, take part in it; whosoever hits the mark, marries Draupadi.""

"Among the Brahmanas were seated the five Pandava brothers... He lifted the bow in his hand, strung it without any effort, and drawing it, sent the arrow right through the wheel and hit the eye of the fish. Then there was great jubilation. Draupadi, the princess, approached w:Arjuna|Arjuna and threw the beautiful [[garland of flowers over his head."

"The five brothers now returned home to Kunti with the princess... They shouted out to her joyously, "Mother, we have brought home a most wonderful alms today." The mother replied, "Enjoy it in common, all of you, my children." Then the mother seeing the princess, exclaimed, "Oh! what have I said! It is a girl!" But what could be done! The mother's word was spoken once for all. It must not be disregarded. The mother's words must be fulfilled. She could not be made to utter an untruth, as she never had done so. So Draupadi became the common wife of all the five brothers."

"In ancient India, if a man of the military caste was challenged to fight, he must at any price accept the challenge to uphold his honour. And if he was challenged to play dice, it was a point of honour to play, and dishonourable to decline the challenge. King Yudhishthira, says in the Epic, she [Draupadi] was the incarnation of all virtues. Even he, the great sage-king, had to accept the challenge. Shakuni and his party had made false dice. So Yudhishthira lost game after game, and stung with his losses, he went on with the fatal game, staking everything he had, and losing all, until all his possessions, his kingdom and everything, were lost. The last stage came when, under further challenge, he had no other resources left but to stake his brothers, and then himself, and last of all, the fair Draupadi, and lost all. Now they were completely at the mercy of the Kauravas, who cast all sorts of insults upon them, and subjected Draupadi to most inhuman treatment. At last through the intervention of the blind king, they got their liberty, and were asked to return home and rule their kingdom. But Duryodhana saw the danger and forced his father to allow one more throw of the dice in which the party which would lose, should retire to the forests for twelve years, and then live unrecognised in a city for one year; but if they were found out, the same term of exile should have to be undergone once again and then only the kingdom was to be restored to the exiled. This last game also Yudhishthira lost, and the five Pandava brothers retired to the forests with Draupadi, as homeless exiles."

"Draupadi, is often aggressive and outspoken. In one episode, in [Mahabharata] she throws her would-be assailant, Kicika, the brother-in-law of King Virata, to the ground and then proceeds violently to castigate one of her husbands, Bhimasena, for his failure to protect her virtue."

"Draupadi, like Sita, makes her first appearance in the epic at an assembly at which the heroes (or hero) have demonstrated their physical prowess. The contest and the wedding delineates the character of the hero more than that of the heroine."

"Draupadi’s wedding contest... when the Pandavas, disguised as brahmans hiding from their cousin [[w:Duryodhana|Duryodhana, are living in a brahman’s house at Ekacakra. One day a brahman visits them and tells them of the pending “self-choice” of Drupada‘s daughter. Questioned by the Pandavas about the unusual birth of both Draupadi and her brother, the brahman proceeds to tell the history of Drupada’s family and that king’s enmity with the sage Drona. Upon hearing this story and the events surrounding the birth of Draupadi and her brother from the sacrificial fire, the Pandava brothers....decide to go to the court of Drupada and to participate in his daughter’s “self-choice.” The events that follow, the contest, [are] the winning of the princess, and her polyandrous marriage to the brothers."

"Description of Draupadi at her birth from the sacrificial fire in Mahabharata:... the princess from Panchala rose up from the middle of the sacrificial fire. She was beautiful and enchanting; she had a lovely body and a waist the shape of the sacrificial altar. She was dark, had eyes like lotus leaves, and dark, wavy hair, She was a goddesswho had taken on a human form. Her scent, like that of a blue lotus, perfumed the air for the distance of a mile. She possessed the most beautiful figure; none was her equal on earth."

"Draupadi appears in the arena for her “self-choice"... Immediately after her marriage, she is fond of her new “brahman” husbands: she is depicted as patiently serving them and dutifully sleeping at their feet."

"During the famous, yet fateful, dicing match between Yudhisthira and Duryodhana, the impact of the dicing episode is somewhat dissipated at its conclusion. The Pandavas are set free, rather than remaining slaves of their cousins, the events not only set in motion the action of the remainder of the epic, but establish important information for the audience about the characters of the epic and their interrelationships"

"From the outset of the Mahabharata the physical appearance of Draupadi is known than the majority of Indian epic heroines."

"Draupadi, how do you behave with these respected Pandavas, young heroes similar to the world guardians? How do they remain under your influence and why do they never become angry, beautiful woman? You, of lovely countenance, always have control (influence) over all those Pandavas, who have their eyes (glances) fixed on your face; tell me this truthfully! Was it a religious vow, austerities, ablutions, mantras, or magical herbs, the power of secret spells, or the power of roots, or repetition of sacred words, or offerings or drugs? Tell me, lady of Panchala, the lucky secret that brings you [matrimonial] good fortune."

"Draupadi denies employment of any such devices to retain the devotion of her husbands, but rather attributes their love to her exemplary behavior."

"I avoid excessive mirth [arrogance] or excessive vexation and anger and am always, Satya, engaged in serving my husbands."

"Dressed in only one garment, which had its ends (tied) low“) and menstruating, she entered the assembly. The woman from Panchala went before her father-in-law (Dhritarastra)."

"Draupadi begs not to be brought before the assembly in her condition. Angered, she looks over to her husbands who sit in front of the gathered nobles and watch her humiliation: The loss of the kingdom, wealth, or the most valuable jewels, did not cause the pain that was caused by the infuriated glare of that tormented Krsna."

"He (Dhristadhyumna) has a sister, Draupadi. She has a beautiful body and a slender waist. Her scent, like that of a blue lotus, perfumed the air for the distance of a mile."

"Yudhisthira, in his frenzied desire to win back the kingdom, has staked her as his last possession. In his anxiety, he describes her as a handsome and perfect wife, that her value might be worth his opponent’s stake."

"She is not too short, nor is she too large; nor is she too dark nor is her complexion red. She has eyes reddened from passion. I will stake her—whose eyes and fragrance are like autumnal lotuses. Attached to modesty, she is, in beauty, equal to Sri, the goddess of beauty. Were a man to desire a woman, she would be like this one, on account of her kindness; she would be like this one, on account of her beautiful figure; she would be like this one, on account of her perfect character. She is the last to sleep and first to awaken. She knows everything, down to the jobs both completed and not yet done by the cowherds and shepherds. Like the jasmine flower, the mallikfi, is she; with her perspiring face she appears similar to a lotus. She has red eyes, long hair, a waist as slender as the sacrificial altar, and a body with no excessive hair."