Sadness of Draupadi
After the betting took place with the loaded dice and
Yudhishthira lost the Pandavas will now walk through the forest in exile. They
are thinking about all they have lost and wondering where they shall go now.
One in particular a Draupadi lamented day and night over her situation. She is
also greatly displeased at what happened to her when Dushasana attempts to
disrobe her. She was angry that the men that were supposedly supposed to stand
by her did not and on top of that they bet her in a game of dice throwing her
to the side as you would cattle. Krishna find them in the jungle and comforts
her and tells them had he not been fighting against demons. Even after Krishna
left Draupadi continued to weep and beg over all the things she lost. Losing
her bed and having to sleep on the ground, losing her ivory chair and now being
a beggar in rags. Yudishthira said to her that the anger she had is sinful
because it causes destruction. Draupadi’s retort was that the gods have played
with her as a doll and evil men are now happy, whereas she is in distress. She
asks if she can praise a god that would do such a thing to her. Yudishthira
replied asking how anyone can know why the gods do what they do because they
are shrouded in mystery and that she shouldn’t doubt their religion or gods. Bhima
then pleads with Duryodhana to go into battle with these men and to strike down
their enemies. He says that he cannot do that because he has sworn to remain in
exile. He says that there is a greater than life and prosperity and that it is
the way to bliss. Everyone then contemplated these things thinking about their position.
Bibliography: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)
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