Week 7 Story

Peace Fallen

There sat a woman on the bank of a river looking up at the sky. She was weeping uncontrollably as her hands held fistfuls of her clothes. Draupadi wondered where her life went wrong to end up like this. What decisions did she make that could have possibly led her to be destitute and so alone. She was treated like a queen and now she was to live in the wild in exile. It was all because of that stupid dice game that was played she thought. “Why was I thrown into the bet as if I was a mere animal or piece of property? What’s worse is the winners didn’t even play fair they cheated! And now I am to be without a home and without all of my things living in these miserable conditions on a farce of a game? What is the fairness in that! Curse the gods for making this so, where those who do wrong get rewarded and those who are good get punished. The worst thing of it all is the way I was treated in the court room. To be taken in front of all those men and then having Duhshasana try to strip me bare still gives me nightmares. To feel his meaty hands on my body ripping at my clothing, trying his best to take it off still give me chills down my spine. I wake up some nights grasping at my throat as if I’m being strangled by the memory. As I sit here looking up at the moon cursing those who did me wrong I wonder if my prayers will ever be heard and if I shall ever be restored as I once was.” A few moments later a messenger ran up to Draupadi and said, “I have news, I have news, Duhshasana has fallen in battle to the hands of Bhima.” At this Draupadi released a sigh of relief as she let her body relax to the earth. She let out a breath that she had been holding for a while as if calm had come over her. A tear streaked down the side of her face as she said, “At least now I know my prayers are being heard. Someday I shall return home and finally have peace.”  
Author's Notes: I decided to do a what would Draupadi be thinking as she was in the forest wandering. I knew she would be praying to be restored and have the things she used to, and I assumed she would want revenge. I then tied that into the death of Duhshasana the man who had tried to take her clothes off. I decided that his death would give her a bit of peace at last. 

Bibliography: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

Draupadi Humiliated 

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata Part D

Bhima and Dushasana; Arjuna and Karna

I will be using this story to highlight the revenge that was taken against Duhshasana. The morning after the fall of Drona Karna chose for himself several men that were to drive his chariot. These men were highly skilled so as to put Krishna to shame with their skills. At this moment Arjuna was engaged in a battle with Susharman. Then Karna attacked the Pandava army. Next Bhima attacked Karna and they fought a while until Arjuna who was in combat attacked Karna. While this was taking place Duhshasana who assaulted Draupadi, by trying to remove her clothing, came to help Karna. When this happened Bhima attacked him for he had longed to fight the son of Maharajah who was evil in his eyes. Bhima swung his mace and the chariot of which Duhshasana was riding on shattered into many pieces. Duhshasana fell from the chariot breaking his back. Bhima immediately attacked him seizing him and twirling his body around yelling to the men around if they were brave enough come rescue the helper of Karna. No one wanted to lend aid to Duhshasana. Then Bhima cast down Duhshasana body and cut off his head drinking his blood as he promised to do. Many Kauravas who saw this fled and cried out that he is not human for he drinks human blood. While this was taking place there was the deadly fight going on between Arjuna and Karna. They had been fighting for a while shooting arrows at one another as their charioteers drove their chariots. Arjuna shot his celestial bow Gandiva until its string was severed. He asked for a pause of the battle so that he might fix his bow but Karna continued his attack. When Arjuna bow was restrung he attacked angrier than before at how Karna did not heed his wishes. Karna’s chariot got stuck in soft ground and he asked for a pause. Arjuna did and then asked him a series of questions. He asked him if it was manly to shoot him while he was unarmed, if it was manly to scoff at Draupadi when she was shamed in front of others, if it was manly to attack Abhimanyu with six warriors while he slept. When he said his son’s name he was filled with anger and shot an arrow at Karna’s head blowing it off.

Bibliography:  Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).

Arjuna Faces Karna

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata Part C

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)

Mahabharata Tej Kumar Book Depot Mahivir Prasad Mishra by MahaMuni