Ratna Prabha
Draupadi at the Contemptible Kuru Court
“Let go of my hand! How dare you touch me?” Draupadi’s piercing voice echoed through the large, luxurious court of Hastinapur. Dushasana’s ensuing deriding laughter made some of the people shudder and cringe uncomfortably.
In a couple of minutes, Dushasana promenaded into the court, dragging her unceremoniously. She was dressed in a single garment, a sign she was menstruating. Dushasana dropped her near the Hastinapur throne, at the feet of Dhritarashtra, the blind Kuru King.
The shamed and embarrassed eldest daughter-in-law of the Kuru Clan raised herself from the floor, covering herself to the best of her abilities. But her rage was uncontained as her eyes darted poisoned arrows at everyone assembled there.
“What is the meaning of this, O King? Don’t you see I’m not fit to make an appearance here? Have you forgotten I represent this family’s dignity and honour?”
Before the king or anyone else could answer, the eldest Kaurava, Duryodhana, said mockingly, “Can you see your five husbands sitting with their heads hanging down, especially the first one, the great Yudhishtira? He wagered and lost everything he had, including his kingdom, his wealth, his brothers, himself, and you in a dice game. You are now our slave!”
“Come and sit on my lap,” he continued, abruptly cutting off hesitant objections from the Kuru elders, including Bhishma, Kripacharya, and Dronacharya. He leered lecherously at her and thumped his left hand on his left thigh close to his crotch. A few sniggers were heard.
Bheema and Arjuna, the second and third Pandava brothers, rose instantly, their faces red with anger, ready to charge at Duryodhana. But they whimpered back to their seats when Yudhishtra stopped them.
“The rules of the game bind us,” he whispered, although he couldn’t bring himself to look at his wife.
Draupadi’s face was crimson with livid rage. She hollered, “Have the Kuru elders left their sense of justice and propriety in their private rooms? Have my five husbands lost their manhood?”
No one answered. The deafening silence made her desperate.
“One final question! Did my husband lose me before or after he lost himself? If he lost himself first, what right did he have to wager me?” Bhishma’s eyes shed copious tears of guilt-ridden shame. But nothing more!
Emboldened by the silence, Duryodhana said, “Dushasana! Bring her to me, but not before you rip her clothes off and she is completely naked!”
Dushasana moved towards Draupadi, who got herself into a foetal position, perhaps hoping to save what little dignity remained.
Time stood still! Pandavas didn’t dare look up to see Draupadi’s stricken face or face the horrible consequences of their inaction.
Karna and Draupadi
I had argued against the game of dice. “Warriors fight, win, and lose battles and wars on the battlefield, not by trivial games.”
And yet, a small part of me was happy that she was being dragged down like this. Who wouldn’t want revenge for humiliation?
She had humiliated me without saying a word at her swayamvar. The look of disdain she gave me when I picked up my bow and arrow to hit the fish’s eye from its reflection was unmistakable. The entire assembly knew I was participating in the swayamvar for my friend and saviour, Duryodhana. She was too young for me, anyway. Moreover, I was happily married. Why did she give me that look of disdain then?
The worst part was when I failed the test. Her look of contemptuous glee was also unmistakable. My heart yearned for revenge. Today, the queen of Indraprastha and the haughty First Lady of the Kuru House was being insulted. Why shouldn’t I be a little happy?
She was saying something. But I couldn’t hear her words as I was lost in my thoughts. I suddenly realised Prime Minister Vidura was walking off in a huff.
And she was asking, “Have my five husbands lost their manhood?”
The accumulated resentment simmering in my heart exploded. “Women sleeping with five different men are called prostitutes in this kingdom!”
I regretted it instantly. Duryodhana, Dushasana, Uncle Shakuni, and many other Kauravas jeered and laughed aloud at my scathing remarks. The Kuru elders, the five Pandava brothers, and Draupadi herself glared at me with rage emanating from their eyes. But none of them dared to stand up for her.
“Bravo, Karna,” I heard Duryodhana’s voice.
I hated myself!
But my behaviour was favourable to my only friend, the man who stood up for me against the entire world?
Don’t I owe him my loyalty?
Should I go against the one who crowned me King of Anga, rendered royalty to my name, showered me with love and affection despite my humble (and unknown) origins?
Wasn’t I just an abandoned child until he clothed me in Kshatriya respect?
Amid such confusing thoughts, I felt a strange kinship with Draupadi. Today, the pitiful thread of forlornness connected us. She looked as lonely as I had been all my life.
A cold chill filled my heart when Duryodhana ordered Dushasana to strip her. Now I must protest!
It is not the right way to treat any woman! But if I protested, would it be against my dharma of friendship?
The conflicting thoughts made me immobile. Dushasana moved toward her to do his brother’s bidding even as she curled herself up in a foetal position, hoping to save her dignity as much as she could.
Krishna and Draupadi
Suddenly, as if driven by a divine revelation, she unravelled herself from the foetal position and got up. She stood erect, held her hands in prayer, her face turned heavenward and called out HIS name!
KRISHNA! KRISHNA! KRISHNA! YOU ARE MY ONLY REFUGE! PROTECT ME!
The aching voice that came from the depths of her being resonated throughout Hastinapur and beyond, even as Dushasana began tugging at the loose end of her garment.
Then the magic happened!
I stood dumbfounded, watching the scene. Draupadi circumambulated in the same spot, her eyes closed, hands joined together in prayer. Dushasana pulled her garment. But her nakedness was never revealed. Reams of new fabric magically replaced the one he removed.
In a matter of minutes, a massive pile of clothes lay next to the sweating and fatigued Dushasana. And she was still covered in her single cloth, her honour intact.
HE had come to her aid when the world stood by helplessly. HE must be Lord Vishnu!
At that point, it hit me. The Kauravas and all those who stood on their side today, silently or otherwise, would pay a heavy price for this unforgivable act!
Yes, me too!
Still, I will not leave Duryodhana’s side until my death. I had made my choice a long time ago, years before I realised I had thrown myself into a labyrinth of family and political intrigue.
Glossary:
Sutputra – the son of a charioteer.
Kshatriya – warrior or warrior clan, higher than a sutputra in the social hierarchy.
This story, in a slightly different form, first appeared in May 2022 on artoonsinn.com as part of a contest that called for writing a scene from two points of view, including a limited third-person perspective and a first-person perspective.
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
As usual Ratna…. Excellent👍
I feel like this moment in the Mahabharata never stops being relevant-it’s uncomfortable, powerful, and still echoes in so many conversations today. You’ve captured that tension beautifully.
I was really struck by your piece. It stirred up a wild mix of outrage and awe in me! The way you brought Draupadi’s humiliation to life, it was so raw and vivid. I mean, her strength in the middle of such a public disgrace? And you did a fantastic job highlighting that eerie silence in the court, not to mention the divine intervention that stepped in to protect her dignity. Honestly, your storytelling made me rethink her tale. It’s not just some ancient myth; it feels like a timeless lesson about courage, justice, and resilience.
I’ve reflected on how stories like Draupadi’s remind us of resilience and strength in the face of injustice. It’s a powerful call to stand firm and protect what’s right.
It fills me with a deep ache and seething rage every time I watch or read about Draupadi’s humiliation. I find myself questioning the very Dharma that Yudhishthir claimed to uphold, and the silence of Bhishma— the eldest and most capable of stopping it all— is equally disturbing. Lord Krishna’s questioning and explanation during the Mahabharata was both powerful and necessary. Your post beautifully captures the anger, helplessness, and the unbearable humiliation Draupadi endured on that fateful day.
Draupadi’s humiliation still haunts us. It has raised so many questions in my mind, questions that bring about silence when asked to the elders and me. You post makes us relive that moment where a woman was dishonoured while the men who has sworn to protect her stood by silently.
I’ve never understood why queens and kings have such turbulent lives in our mythology. Kunti had no business bearing a child she couldn’t raise. Draupadi’s division amongst five brothers was an unspeakable error. These instances just show the flawed world we inhabit, stemming from the tales.
Though, on the creative front, I do like the projection of Karna’s dilemma that you have put across.
One small tale has so many undertones. Your way of expression is magical, and it feels as if I am watching a movie. That is why they call the TV an idiot box, as it stops our mind from imagining. Kunti having borne Karna was against social norms. Draupadi married to five kings is as blunt as you put it-a prostitute. I didnt understand the part you wrote that Draupadi was dressed in a single garment as she had her periods.
What a powerful retelling of one of the most gut-wrenching moments from the Mahabharata. Draupadi’s voice, her strength, and the moral conflicts you’ve portrayed left me shaken. The switch in perspectives made it all the more impactful.
Who should be considered the culprit? The mother of the Pandavas who didnt care to see what her sons brought for her and asked to share between them. The pandavas who who failed to show their spine and purushuttam to say that ” Mom you are wrong…. Draupadi is a woman and she should get the due respect to stay with the one who won her swayambar.” Or we should blame the decision of the person who believed that an elder son although blind can be a good king…. all the problems started right from there which carried all the consequences ending to the war of Kurushetra……………….. That is my observation.
Indeed, Samata! Who to blame?
Your exploration of Draupadi’s humiliation comes through with powerful empathy— I felt the weight of her vulnerability and the injustice she endured. You’ve given voice to her emotional turmoil in a way that resonates deeply.
What a beautiful way to express the inner turmoil and conflict that Karna ,the forgotten and discarded son of Kunti felt seeing Draupadi being insulted publicly.
Her vulnerability and helplessness and its echoes within Karna added so much humanity to this story.
Karna’s side of the whole story, a part of vengeance, knowing how immoral it is, and a part to show his loyalty towards his friendship, was something new for me. The question by Draupadi is so meaningful…5 husbands and no one to protect her!!
This was so cool to read the same scene, one that we’ve read and heard about so many times might I add, in two perspectives at the same time. Did it end up winning that contest, Ratna? I’m sure it was at least one of the top!
I am very fond of Karna. I liked this version of him ..though humiliating Draupadi yet feeling ashamed. I just can’t understand how the elders in the courtroom kept quiet.
For me, this is the most painful part of Mahabharat. Tears still well up in my eyes when I read or think about this episode.
It’s heartbreaking how a lady was humiliated to satisfy someone’s ego and was treated as such in front of her husbands and elders. Karna is one of my favourite characters but I can’t forgive him for his loyalty to Duryodhan even when this happened.
I absolutely love your retelling. This was indeed one of the scenes which bring down women, which i didn’t quite like
I had read this part of Karna’ story, but one can read again and again. so many lessons to be learned from this epic tale.
Draupadi’s story never stops striking my emotional cord. Your words hold the emotions as courageously as her aura and purity. Also what I loved more here is Karna’s dilemma. karna is someone I want to understand more and more about. A character that has layers and so much unsaid. Thank you for sharing this blog.
I have watched this scene a number of times watching Mahabharata on television, and reading this took me back to feel disgust, remorse and sad at the woman conditioning even in that era.
I have read and seen the scene on screen so many times but reading your retelling had a unique touch to it. Always enjoy reading your posts.
A powerful, gut-wrenching retelling that sears with emotion and righteous fury. You’ve captured Draupadi’s anguish and strength with raw honesty—this shook me to the core. Brilliant and brutally unforgettable
This was one of the horrific episode in the whole saga of Mahabharata, questionning morals and mindsets of every important character in the storyline. Your retelling absolutely fabulous!