A character in the Mahabharata who is deified constantly is Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. She is epitomised as a true heroine; one with fierce devotion to the Lord Krishna. The story of how she manages to be the wife of five men is a bit silly. Arjuna, the greatest archer of all time, wins her in a competition. It is said that Karna also took part in the same competition but just as he is about to draw his bow, Draupadi taunts him in accordance with Krishna’s hidden gesture. This leads Karna to miss his shot and so Arjuna wins easily. Having won the fair damsel, he takes her home to his mother in company with his brothers. His mother Kunti Devi was busy inside the house and on his request to her to step out and see what he has brought her, she tells him she’s busy and to simply share whatever it is among all of them. They, apparently (like typical Indian men) took her rather literally and thus it was that Draupadi ended up being shared among the Pandavas.
Draupadi however had a strong partiality for the man who won her, namely Arjuna and it is this affection that is considered her major fault. It is but natural that a woman consider one man her husband – how she is supposed to feel the same way for five men and indeed why should she, a princess herself, be subjected to a ridiculous formula of sharing? In any case Arjuna had many other wives including Subhadra, Krishna’s sister – so things were more or less even!
I don’t particularly like Draupadi because of many reasons. The first is of course agreeing to be shared. The second is for laughing inappropriately and causing the Mahabharata war itself! The third is for letting herself be traded as chattel (though I agree she was honour-bound to appear weaker than the men in her life) during the infamous dice game between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The fourth is for manipulating Bheema ad infinitum. She liked Arjuna better as I’ve mentioned but it was Bheema whom she turned to when she wanted someone killed or just had to have that flower, Kalyanasougandhigam which was almost impossible to obtain. What was the point of having that flower? It could be of no use and would last for at most a few hours once plucked. But the fact is that just asking for the impossible and having a strong man run to get it for her proved to her and indeed anyone else, just how much influence she had over Bheema, who was supposedly the mightiest in the realm.
In my mind, a strong female character should have been able to stand up for herself instead of passively accepting painful situations. Her character should inspire other women instead of teaching them to be manipulative and vengeful. There is not a single quality that makes her stand out as an epitome of womanhood – instead she is simply an ordinary character with ordinary emotions and a common mindset.
3 comments:
Lol, most of your reasons to dislike draupadi are based on wrong assumptions.
First, she never insulted duryodhan when he fell in the water. She never said anything like 'blind man's son is blind'. As for laughter, it was arhun, bhim (him most of all), nakul, sahadev who laughed.
Second, "letting herself be used as chattel for the dice game", who exactly asked draupadi's "permission" to put her on stake? NO ONE, least of all "dharmaraj" yudhisthir. The first time draupadi comes to know about the entire sorry affair, was when duryodhan's servant comes to take her to the dice hall. Then she uses her only tools, her brains and law, to attempt to save herself. She asks the servant to ask the sabha if yudhisthir first lost himself or her? If he list himself first, he has no right (in the law of that day) to stake her. Then Dussasan comes and pulls her by her hair to the sabha. Even there, she is fearless when asks for justice from the king and the elder statesmen. She uses delaying tactics when she uses the ritual of giving respect to elders by touching their feet. She again asks what right did yudhisthir have to stake her. She asks the sabha to preserve and uphold dharma. Never, though surrounded by enemies and clad flimsily and menstruating, does she "submit" willingly to injustice.
I don't understand what you mean by "strength"? If physical strength, then yes she if course had less than the men around her. If mental, psychological and moral strength, then I think she is far above the napunsaks (eunuchs) sitting in that day in the court. Even after her vastra harangue, she managed to win back her husbands their kingdom and their freedom. Its another thing that useless,brainless yudhisthir manages to lose the kingdom again in dice. When, she leaves that court that day, it is to undivided applause.
Again, during vanavaas, she never lets her husbands forget her humiliation and their shame and keeps on reminding them of their duty. Hardly the "soft, pliable and brainless" woman who lets everything go because of her "patiparmeshwar".
Lastly, draupadi is always pragmatic (a much better attitude than yudhisthir's eternal idealism). After arjun wins her in the swayamvar (or rather her father's political bid) and then takes her with him. By now, she is wed and touched by a man (access. To the social customs of the age) and her space for maneuvering is very less. If she had said a word of protest/complain, her position would have been like that of Amba (who later becomes Shikhandi). Amba after confessing her love for Shalva to Bhishma (and Vichitraveerya), is rejected by both Bhishma as well as Shalva and has to remain unwed (a most socially ostracizing position even now).
So draupadi's protesting would have resulted in either her being unwed or it would have meant the pyre for her (as indeed some of the rejected kings suggested at her swayamvar). So it wad more practical to keep quiet. It was for her father and brother to protest against the polyandry, and they did protest. Intact I think Yudhisthir also told them that now after the swayamvar, the decision was not theirs to make but the Pandavas.
But then Ved Vyas poked his nose in and convinced them to accept.
Also, as for being the cause of the war, well, she is the cause of the war, I wonder what you would call Duryodhan, Dussasan,Karna and Shakuni? And what about Yudhisthir and his accursed penchant for gambling away the kingdom,brothers, self and wife?
Let us also not forget the great Dhritarashtra and his great ambition who turned a blind eye to Bhim's childhood poisoning by Duryodhan and Shakuni, the lakshagriha, the game of dice and vastraharan which he could have stopped with a word?
Even after all that Draupadi continued to serve Gandhari post war.
As for the flower games with Bhim, agreed. She shouldn't have been manipulative like that. But that was one of her flaws. That and her pride. Makes her human, which is best part of the Mahabharata.
I agree with the original post. Draupadi comes across as manipulative & arrogant. Truth be told, none of the 5 brothers actually loved her or even wanted her. Even Arjun didn't want her but was in love with Krishna's sister.
Mahabharatham is always great an interesting.
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