STO-204 – The Story of Draupadi (assertiveness and compassion)
Draupadi was the daughter of Maharaja Drupada. The king performed a great sacrifice under the superintendence of the sage Yaja. By his first offering, Dhrishtadyumna was born. At Kurukshetra, he killed Drona, his father’s arch enemy. By the second offering, Draupadi was born. An aero-message declared that she was born for the destruction of many a warrior, and that she was to be called Krishnaa (like Krishna but with a long ‘a’ at the end). In her previous life, Draupadi had requested a blessing from Lord Shiva. She had asked five times, and in the present lifetime was therefore destined to have five highly-qualified husbands. When the time came to select her life’s partner, her father invited princes and kings from all over the vast Indian empire to try to win her hand. Each suitor attempted to pierce the eye of a fish, suspended from the ceiling and partially protected by a rotating wheel. Each contestant could aim by looking at the fish’s trembling refection in a pot of water.
Arjuna, in exile at the time and disguised as a brahmin, astounded everyone by winning the contest. The five Pandavas returned to their secret home, and one brother called out, “Mother, look what a beautiful prize Arjuna has won at an archery contest!” Kunti, without looking up, replied, “Whatever it is, you must share it equally between you”. Kunti was shocked to see Draupadi, but warmly welcomed her. In true kshatriya spirit, Kunti refused to let a lie utter from her mouth., and therefore insisted that all her sons marry the bride won by Arjuna. Although this was unconventional, sage Vyasa approved of it, citing other instances when a woman had more than one husband. Thus, Draupadi became the common wife of all five brothers. Each of them begot a son in her. Scripture describes her as a most beautiful lady, equal to her mother-in-law, Kunti.
Later, Draupadi was lost in a gambling game, and forcibly dragged into the assembly hall. Dushasan, one of Duryodhana’s brothers, tried to disrobe her, even before elderly nobles such as Bhishma and Drona. Bewildered as to what was their dharma (for Yudhisthira has somehow gambled away everything, including Draupadi), none of the great warriors intervened. It was for this offence against a chaste lady that these high-ranking kshatriyas were later forced to lay down their lives at Kurukshetra. Draupadi was a great devotee of Lord Krishna, and in this situation, remembered her lord. With one hand, she clung onto her sari and with the other appealed to him. But Dushasan was a powerful warrior, and the princess could not resist his strength. Seeing little alternative, she gave up all attempts to protect her chastity, and raising both arms in the air, shouted “Hey, Govinda”. At that moment, the Lord Himself supplied an unlimited garment and even the powerful Dushasan became exhausted from the relentless pulling. Thus the lord protected Draupadi’s honour. The story goes that on a previous occasion, Krishna had cut his finger whilst wielding his discus weapon. At that time, Draupadi unhesitatingly tore of a strip off her sari and bandaged the lord’s finger. For her selfless service, Krishna was ever indebted to Draupadi and thus later supplied the endless length of sari. Later, when Draupadi was perplexed by the arrival of sage Durvasa and his 60,000 disciples, Krishna again saved her from embarrassment.
Although it was unusual for a woman to marry more than one husband, Draupadi was a chaste and devoted wife in the traditional sense. Nonetheless, like so many other famous Hindu women, she was powerful and assertive. Her exceptional beauty attracted many men, even though she was married. The enamoured Prince Jayadratha kidnapped her, but she gave him a good beating. While the Pandavas were living incognito in the palace of King Virat, a warrior called Kichaka sexually harassed her. A distraught Draupadi tearfully appealed to Bhima, the strongest of her five husbands, and she was satisfied when the ignoble warrior met his violent end.
Later, just as the battle of Kurukshetra was closing, Draupadi was as much aggrieved when Ashvattama unfairly killed her five sons. She demanded of Arjuna that the culprit’s head be brought to her. Nonetheless, when Ashvattama was finally captured, he showed remarkable compassion, thinking of what Ashvattama’s mother would experience if her son were killed, and comparing it to her own recent bereavemen.
At the last stage, Draupadi accompanied her husbands in their march towards the Himalayas and she fell on the way. When Yudhisthira entered the heavenly planet he saw Draupadi gloriously present there as the goddess of fortune.