(Originally Published at "JETIR" An International, UGC Approved Journal in 2026)
Draupadi is the most important character of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. She was born out of fire by the yajna performed by the king Drupad, who was the ruler of the kingdom of Panchal. She was the wife of Pandava’s brothers. She is one among five Panch-Kanyas (‘Pancha’ means five and ‘Kanya’ means Virgin). Draupadi was the most beautiful woman during Mahabharata. Arjuna hence won Draupadi’s hand. Draupadi, being a young damsel who came out of the fire had no childhood at all. Throughout the Mahabharata the genuine persona of Draupadi springs, illustrating her uniqueness, power, and firm conviction for both equity and revenge. Through these features, the character of Draupadi has evolved to be a manifestation of empowerment for women and has earned the devotion of many followers. She is not only a strong character but she “was a dedicated wife, moral, ethical minded and sticking to commitment”. Despite the challenges, she developed as one of the most appreciated and strongest women in the epic saga. Draupadi was not a weak lady, she challenged the unfairness, and her character is a motivation and an impression of an advanced woman.
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat via Instagram/maharani_draupadi
BIRTH OF DRAUPADI-
Draupadi’s birth occurred on the backdrop of King Drupad of
Panchal having been beaten by the Pandava prince Arjuna on the place of Drona,
who consequently won share his land. To attain vengeance on Drona, King Drupad
demanded Yaja to exercise a fire-sacrifice for the birth of a boy who would
annihilate Drona and assured him to pay a hundred million cows. He performed
the sacrifice and after his last oblation in the sacrificial fire a boy arose
from the flames, holding a sword, wearing a crown. After that a girl came out
from the sacrificial fire. She was a gorgeous, dusky-skinned young girl with a
thin waist, with beautiful eyes like lotus-leafs, with an average height,
having black wavy hairs, spreading the scent of blue lotus, with an exceptional
beauty embodiment of goddess in human form.
DRAUPADI SWAYAMVAR-
Drupad organized a Swayamvar competition for his
daughter Draupadi to select her husband from the competition. In the case
of Draupadi’s svayamvara there was a condition set by Drupad. He arranged an
archery competition wherein an instrument of a rotating fish was placed on a
typical device in the air and a heavy bow and arrow underneath. The warrior who
can shoot down the fish using the bow and arrow kept there can win the heart of
Draupadi. The bow was very heavy and difficult to lift. Similarly the target
was too difficult to achieve. Warriors after warriors including Duryodhan came
forward to string the bow and shoot the mark in the air and everybody failed
invariably. The dramatic turns to the events appears when Karna enters the
scene. He was about to string the bow and shoot the mark. At this moment
Draupadi intervenes and declares that she will not chose a son of Suta as her
husband. Draupadi dismisses Karna from taking part in the competition stating
that he is ineligible as he is the son of a Suta. Accordingly Karna was very
much eligible to participate in the competition. He was also a King of Anga
then. Draupadi also did not take into consideration that Karna was a king of
Anga-s and he was one of the foremost bowmen of the time. So her denial for
Karna was not so lawful and it was a great insult and injustice done on him. As
a result great grudges were developed in Karna against Draupadi. In the
subsequent part of the epic, one can see that Karna leave no chance that he got
to insult her and revenge. Karna’s vicious comments on Draupadi at the court of
Hastinapur, when she staked there, are evident to it.
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat
The strong belief of Drupad was that only Arjuna can
succeed the too difficult archery competition. In case Pandava’s are alive he
believed that Arjuna will definitely reach there and win Draupadi. Thus,
Draupadi’s denial for Karna can be construed as that she wished to marry only
Arjuna. However Pandava’s in disguise of Brahmins came to the Swayamvar Sabha
and Arjuna won Draupadi by piercing with arrow, the eye of a moving fish on a
high pole. At the Swayamvar, almost all the assorted monarchs were unable to
complete the challenge. There were lot of arguments between the Pandava-s who
were in disguise of Brahmana’s and the Kshatriya Kings who have arrived there
to win beautiful Draupadi. Many had questioned the eligibility of Brahmana’s
participating in the competition. The arguments turned to be a fight While the
other participants, including the Kaurava’s, objections at a Brahmin conquering
the contest and condemn Drupad, Arjuna and Bhīma defend Draupadi from the
furious kings. Kings and princes became very angry and it is Draupadi’s Sakha
‘Krishna’, who intervenes and put an end to the conflict between the furious
kings and the masked Pandava’s.
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat
POLYANDROUS MARRIAGE OF DRAUPADI-
The royal princess,
who had not viewed the sunlight of an afternoon, had to walk miles in the hot
temperature to arrive at her husband's home. When Draupadi reaches with the
five Pandava’s to meet her mother-in-law Kunti, they notify her that Arjuna won
a donation, to which Kunti says, "Distribute the alms evenly".
This motherly order causes the five brothers to marry Draupadi. Following their
mother's statement, they distributed Draupadi amongst themselves like an
object. Though Draupadi had been given the privilege of svayamvara marriage or
self-choice, she could not enjoy its fruit. She had won over by Arjuna, the
warrior whom she had cherished, but she had to be the wife of five persons.
It is true that Arjuna was able to receive Draupadi's
hand by completing a difficult and skilful task, but she was not a prize that
he won because it was Draupadi's Swayamvar; she had the right to choose her
husband. Arjuna exhibited himself eligible to win the hand of Draupadi but
Kunti’s judgment to divide her between the five Pandava’s was shocking to him
and Draupadi. Arjuna was the winner in the competition. Accordingly Draupadi
chose Arjuna as her husband and as per the condition of svayamvara, only Arjuna
had the right to marry her as he was the winner. She was very fond of him and
it would be the same for Arjuna too. Ironically she had to accept all the five
Pandava’s as her husbands. Nobody asked for her opinion, willingness, for her
marriage with the five brothers.
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat
She has missed the satisfaction of married life with Arjuna
whom she adores with all her heart and soul. She became a sufferer of
situations and had no authority over the circumstances when she was informed
that she ought to wed five men at the very time. She was demanded to love all
her husband’s evenly, which certainly is a challenging task to do. She was
scared of the sort of physical intimacy she was being asked as a wife of five
brothers. She shared her anxiety before her friend Krishna. Krishna explained
Draupadi to spend a year with each husband. Throughout that period the other of
her husbands will be restricted to enter the bedroom in which Draupadi and the
husband-of-the-year are in a private space. If anybody does so, even
unintentionally, he would be banished for twelve years. Hence Draupadi became
the common wife of the five Pandava’s. Both Arjuna and Draupadi suffered at the
hands of the elder’s command.
PALACE OF ILLUSIONS-
When it is revealed that Pandava’s were alive, a succession
dilemma was begun. The Pandava’s, their mother Kunti and Draupadi returned to
their kingdom, being then ruled by their uncle, Dhritarashtra. The kingdom was
split into two, Indraprastha and Hastinapur, to avoid conflicts between the
Pandava’s and Kaurava’s. The Pandava’s are assigned the wasteland Khandavprastha,
referred to as unreclaim desert. Pandava’s’ reconstructed
Khandavprastha into the magnificent Indraprastha, with the support of Krishna.
The Pandava’s made the Indraprastha their capital. The palace at Indraprastha
was constructed by the architect demon, Moy. The palace was divine and was
filled with all sorts of incredible imaginary construction.
Khandava forest is
transformed into a precious empire. In that empire, Draupadi resided in the
"Palace of Illusions". Pandavas exercised the Rajasuya Yagya besides
Draupadi; the Pandava’s attained excellence over so many states. Today, very
few people are aware of Draupadi's position as an Empress. She was trained in
economic activities; she carried upon the burden of looking after the treasury
of the Indraprastha, and also managed civilian affairs. Her responsibilities as
a working Empress are discussed in her remarkable communication with
Satyabhama, Krishna's beloved wife, during their exile.
There is a popular tale that is supposed to be the reason
why Duryodhan hated Draupadi. While touring the grounds, an inexperienced
Duryodhan was put in embarrassing situation, when he walked on the firm portion
of the yard, there was an illusion and Duryodhan slipped in the water, wetted
from top to bottom by the mysterious pool. Draupadi and her maids saw this from
the balcony and were amused. Duryodhan felt extremely humiliated that Draupadi
and her maids saw his embarrassing predicament. Draupadi mocked on Duryodhan
and uttered “Andhasya Putra Andhah” indicating 'a blind man's son is
blind'. The fabrication of 'blind man's son is blind' was an imagination of
many dramatists.
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat
The most popular narration was
by B.R. Chopra’s cult masterpiece Mahabharata series that aired on
Doordarshan in 1988. In Vyasa's Sanskrit epic, the picture is entirely
different. It was Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakul, and Sahadev besides Draupadi who had
observed Duryodhan’s drop in the pool and they giggled with their attendants.
Anyways, Duryodhan got hurt by the attitude of Pandava’s; it added fuel into
the fire. Because of this insult and the envy within him, of the
Pandava’s' luxury, Duryodhan decided to humble them and hence proposed them to
play a game of dice. He also expressed his anger at having dropped into a pool
of water and being laughed at mockingly, mainly by Bhīma, followed by Arjun,
Nakul, and Sahadev. He fleetingly mentioned Draupadi's name, which accordingly
to Duryodhan, had "joined in the laughter with other
females." This laughter of Draupadi's was symbolic cause for the
dice-game, and eventually the war. This major episode is frequently
examined as the turning point in the story of Mahabharata. It is one of the
core reasons that eventually headed to the Kurukshetra war.
THE GAME OF DICE-
With his wicked uncle Shakuni, Duryodhan planned to invite Pandava’s to Hastinapur and conquer their kingdoms in a play of gambling. As the game starts, Yudhishthira loses gradually. He staked his chariots, horses and elephants lost them; and at the end of the day, he dropped his country, Indraprastha, as well. In the next round, Yudhishthira's Stakes his brothers subsequently gambles away Nakul, Sahadev, Arjuna and Bheema. Ultimately, Yudhishthira puts himself at stake and fails again. Subsequently, he and his brothers became the servants of the Kaurava king.
Duryodhan suggests Yudhishthira that
he has not lost everything yet; Yudhishthira still has Draupadi with him and if
he wishes he can win everything back by putting Draupadi at stake. Playing the
next round, Shakuni wins. Being the winner of the game, Duryodhan ordered that
Draupadi be dragged into the court. The Pandava’s bowed their heads in
embarrassment. Yudhishthira soon realized what the sinful act he had committed
of. However, it was too late to regret.
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat
Draupadi was terrified after learning that she was staked in the gambling and consequently became a servant of Duryodhan. But, she conveyed back a query for Yudhishthira with a servant rather than quietly obeying her husband. She asked her husband Yudhishthira if he had pawned her previously or later he had lost himself in the game. Draupadi asks Yudhishthira's authority on her as he had lost himself previously and she was still an Empress. Thereafter, Duryodhan got furious with Draupadi's queries, commands his younger brother Dushasana to bring her into the court, forcefully if he must. Draupadi refused to come to the court and stated that she is in her menstrual period and cannot present in the simple attire that she was wearing. Dushasana refused to listen to all those excuses and grabs her hair and dragged her into the court. No elder women came to stop Dushasana. He roared in anger as Draupadi was running from one place to another in the harem. Finally Dushasana seized Draupadi by her long hair and dragged her into the court.
HUMILIATION OF DRAUPADI AT HASTINAPUR COURT
A family is a place where a woman should have security and care but unfortunately, Draupadi suffers discrimination, harassment, and violence at their own home. Dushasana drags Draupadi to the assembly by pulling her hair. Bheema vows in anger, to cut Dushasana hands, as they reached Draupadi's hair. Soon in a heartfelt request to the learned veterans present in the court, Draupadi frequently questions the authority of Yudhishthira to put her at stake. In order to aggravate the Pandava’s further, Duryodhan strips and taps his thigh gazing into Draupadi's eyes, indicating that she should relax on his thigh. In rage Bhīma vows in front of the entire assembly that he would break that thigh of Duryodhan, or accept being Duryodhan’s slave for seven lifetimes.
What was shameful is that none of the learned
elders like Bhishma, Drona, and Dhritarashtra etc. have intervened at this
crucial condition also. At this time Vikarna, a brother of Duryodhan asks
the kings assembled in the court to answer the question of Draupadi. He
delivers his verdict that Draupadi is not gained fairly as Yudhishthira lost
himself previously before staking her. Listening to these statements, Karna
becomes enraged and He spoke in support of Duryodhan’s act. Here Karna strongly
argued that Draupadi had been won by Shakuni in the game. He further stated
that “Draupadi has many husbands and according to Shastra’s, she can be
considered a characterless woman”. Karna goes on to call Draupadi, a
courtesan for being the wedded wife of five men, adding that dragging her to
court is not surprising act whether she be attired or naked. He orders
Dushasana to disrobe Draupadi. Draupadi looked at all elders in the court -
Dhritarashtra, Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and Vidur - with her eyes shouting for
help. But all elders were silent. Her husband’s sat with their heads bowed.
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat
KRISHNA SAVES DRAUPADI’S HONOUR-
Viewing her husbands'
passivity, Draupadi prays to Krishna to protect her. Suddenly a
miracle occurs because of Krishna. Dushasana strips layers and layers of
her saree. Numerous measures of the saree he stretched, yet it was still
beyond. Dushasana was tired drawing her saree but he could not find the end of
it. This gives us the connection between a brother and sister or the assurance
of protection. Draupadi gave to Lord Krishna one small strand from her saree to
tie on his injured finger, during a duel with the cruel Sisupala. At that time,
Krishna had promised Draupadi of eternal protection. Lord Krishna fulfilled his
commitment during these troublesome minutes of Draupadi and provided her an
unending saree, one which could never be unwrapped and hence shielded her
dignity.
BOONS OF DRAUPADI-
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat
Queen Gandhari arrives in the picture and advises Dhritarashtra to ruin his sons' crimes. Worrying from the horrible consequences, Dhritarashtra interrupts and offers Draupadi a boon. Draupadi demands that Pandavas be released from slavery so her sons would not be recognized as a servant. While Dhritarashtra offers her for her other desires, she responded that her husbands were powerful and proficient to acquire all the rest that they had dropped by themselves. Dhritarashtra grants the Pandavas their wealth back and permits them to go home. Draupadi succeeded in getting back independence for her bound husbands.
DRAUPADI ACCOMPANIED HER HUSBANDS DURING EXILE
When Dhritarashtra returned their kingdom also and tried to console the Pandava’s, the Kaurava’s were angry. They decided to play the dice again with Pandava’s and whoever was defeated would have to give up the whole Kingdom and remain in the forest for twelve years, and then for another year live incognito (that is, without being recognized by others). If they were identified by anybody during that time, then they had to live again in twelve years of exile in the forests and spend a year disguised. This was the condition of the match. Yudhishthira was defeated again. The Pandava’s gave up their royal robes and put on clothes made of bark of trees. Draupadi accompanied her husbands, giving up the comforts of palaces. Therefore the exile period of the Pandava’s started.
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat
Lord Krishna was the soul-mate of
Draupadi. He did not overlook his dear Pandava’s and Draupadi in the forest,
but visited them now and again. Many saints also visited the Pandava’s now and
then and guided them. The Surya Dev granted Pandava’s a magic
vessel (Akshaya Patra). This pot would not become vacant until
Draupadi's feast was finished. During the exile when Pandava’s were in Kamyaka
Forest Sage Durvasa came. Everyone at that moment, even Draupadi too had her
feed and the Akshaya Patra got empty. Sage Durvasa went to take a bath in the
Ganges Draupadi became anxious and she repeatedly appealed to Krishna to
protect her and her husbands from the anger of Durvasa when he would discover
that the Pandava’s had nothing to grant him and his pupils as a feed. Lord
Krishna arrived at the home of Draupadi and ate the single piece of rice from
the Akshaya Patra. There at the river bank, sage Durvasa and his pupils felt as
if they had a delicious meal with many delicacies. Durvasa rishi blessed the
Pandava’s and they decided to change their course silently.
CONVERSATION BETWEEN DRAUPADI AND
SATYABHAMA-
In conversation with Satyabhama, Draupadi
clearly exhibits the exalted nature of women's power where she gives the finest
details of how she takes care of her husbands and how she offered an equal
amount of attention and compassion to them. Administering the household is not
an easy-going business and Draupadi had attained superiority in that as well.
The meaning of feminine chastity represented through Draupadi is that she can
be outspoken, yet, she must remain docile to the men around her. The good wife
must support her husband, even if it drives her into the flaming wall of
humiliation and shame. Draupadi chooses to stay with her husbands’, however.
She accompanies her husbands into exile in the forest.
ABDUCTION OF DRAUPADI BY JAYDRATH-
Draupadi's troubles were not yet over. While the Pandava’s were in the Kamyaka forest, they often went hunting, leaving Draupadi alone. At this time Jayadrath the king of Sindhu, passed through Kamyaka forest on the way to Salwa Desa. Jayadrath met Draupadi and then started beseeching her to go away with him and desert her husbands .Jayadrath forced her onto his chariot. Meanwhile, the Pandava’s finished their hunt and found Draupadi missing. Discovering their wife's kidnapping by Jayadrath Arjun and Bhīma ran to protect her.
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat
On observing the Pandava’s following him, Jayadrath abandoned Draupadi on the way, though eventually the Pandava’s succeeded to capture him. Yudhishthira urged Bhīma to spare Jayadratha's life for the sake of Dussala and Gandhari .Yudhishthira demands Draupadi to deliver the judgment since it was she who was abducted. Before releasing him, the Pandava’s cut Jayadratha's hairs at five places to openly embarrass him. In the year they had to live into incognito, the Pandava’s preferred to stay in the Matsya Kingdom.
DRAUPADI MASKED AS ‘SAIRANDHRI’ IN
AGYATVAS-
One day Kichak, and the commander of king Virata's forces, happened to see the Draupadi. He was fascinated by her charm when looking at her and requested her hand in marriage. Draupadi refused him, saying that she was already married to Gandharva’s. She warned Kichak that her husbands were very strong and that he would not be able to escape death at their hands. After that, he forced his sister, the empress Sudeshna, to help him to get Draupadi. Sudeshna commanded Draupadi to bring wine from Kichaka's residence, cancelling Draupadi's objections.
When Draupadi went to get wine, Kichak
tried to molest her. Draupadi ran away and rush towards the assembly of Virata.
Kichak assaults her in front of all the attendants and ministers, including
Yudhishthira. Afraid of losing his strongest warrior Kichak, even King Virat
did not take any step. Enraged, Draupadi questioned about the responsibilities
of a king and dharma. Draupadi then cursed Kichak that he will be killed by her
husband's hand. Draupadi could not control her anger and grief. Later that
night, Arjuna consoled Draupadi, and with Bhīma, they hatched a plan
to kill Kichak. Draupadi meets with Kichak, pretending to actually love him and
agreeing to marry him on the condition that none of his friends or brothers
would know about their relationship. Kichak accepted her condition. Draupadi
asked Kichak to come to the dancing hall at night. Bhīma (in the guise of
Draupadi), fights with Kichak and kills him.
DRAUPADI DURING THE WAR-
When Krishna makes up his mind to go as an
ambassador of peace to Hastinapur, Draupadi tells Krishna not to show mercy on
Kauravas, they are the ones who deserve suitable punishment. Draupadi reminds
her husbands all the injustice done by the Kaurava’s. There she declared that
if Pandava’s do settle for peace her aged father and her sons would fight for
her. At the time of war she was behind the curtain providing support to
her husbands. The continuous attack and tragic experiences caused Draupadi to
be very aggressive and revengeful. She never wants to ally with the enemies.
She was a lady of Kshatriya spirit and was very proud of her race and prowess.
When the army of the Pandava’s started for the battlefield, Draupadi and other
ladies stayed to the camp at Upaplavya at some distance from the battlefield.
After the incident of dice game her aim of life became the destruction of her
foes. She could not forget the insults heaped upon her by the enemies and could
not tolerate with the peaceful attitudes of her husbands and their attempt to
make alliance with Duryodhan.
DRAUPADI AND PANDAVA’S ON THE GREAT JOURNEY TO HEAVEN-
Draupadi followed her husbands in every walks of their life, sharing their sorrows and miseries. After hearing about Krishna’s death, the Pandava’s lost interest in the world. Pandavas decided to go to heaven. Pariksit was appointed the king. Pandavas were heading towards the great Meru. Consequently, Draupadi dropped on the ground from the mountain. After questioned by Arjuna about the cause for her dying, Yudhishthira stated, “Since her true emotion and compassionate bond was showered more on you, she experienced such despair.” These words of Yudhishthira were so cruel, Even if she had loved Arjuna what was the sin in it. Arjuna was the man who won over her in svayamvara and whom she had cherished to be her husband. It was Yudhishthira and others who snatched her love for Arjuna. Satisfying five husbands equally is not an easy task but she did it with her intelligence and virtues. Draupadi loved Arjuna more than the other Pandava’s and that is in anyways expected. Arjuna won Draupadi by his valour but he was compelled to share her with his brothers because of the pressure of circumstances.
Draupadi could not live with her beloved
Arjuna, for long years since he had set out for a one year journey. Following
the agreement, she ought to live with each Pandav for one year in turn in
serial order starting with Yudhishthira followed by Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakul and
Sahadev. During such period if someone breaks the privacy or enters to the
couple’s room, he has to stay in exile for one year. It is natural that Arjuna
was greatly disturbed with this and wanted to escape from such depressed
atmosphere. In an unavoidable situation Arjuna had to break the rule he had
departed to the forest. During this exile period he wedded Ulupi, Chitrangada
and later he weds Subhadra. It is intolerable for any women if her beloved
husband gets into relations with any other woman. Draupadi openly expressed her
intolerance before Arjuna when he approached her after his wedding with
Subhadra.
DRAUPADI VIEWED AS THE REASON FOR THE WAR ?
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat via Instagram/maharani_draupadi
Draupadi's unmatched charm and knowledge
becomes the root of her suffering. Unfortunately, today no one understands
Draupadi’s sufferings. She was censured, then and even at this point. She is
viewed as the reason for the war, There are so many people and scholars assume
that the Kurukshetra battle was encountered chiefly because Draupadi degraded
Duryodhan, as she ridicules him that the son of a blind father is also blind
when he dropped in the pool of Maya Mahal, and he takes an oath to humiliate
her publically. So in order to take the revenge on Draupadi, Duryodhan takes an
oath of insulting her. Later Draupadi, as result was humiliated in the public.
Her curse and Pandava’s revenge on Kaurava’s on humiliating their wife was the
main reason for the war. But this is not really true. Draupadi is likewise
blamed for setting off the Great War between the siblings the Kaurava’s and the
Pandava’s.
Draupadi, wife of Pandava’s was called ‘Kulanasini’ (destroyer of kingdom) after the Kurukshetra war .Before Draupadi was married to Pandava’s, there was rivalry between Kaurava’s and Pandava’s .Draupadi, being brilliant women she was not really able to clear the blame put on her. Despite her humiliations, adventures, trials, and agony, she became the epitome of the ultimate woman who endures so much, and yet she became a source of inspiration for generations.. Since then, she captures the ultimate essence of womanhood.
CONCLUSION-
Draupadi was extraordinarily beautiful and magnetic. Whoever saw her thought her to be some goddess or someone came from heaven. All the Kaurava’s including Jayadrath and even Karna and Kichak wants to marry her. Draupadi as one of the most powerful and fascinating woman in the Mahabharata, has been praised by the scholars of Indian and foreign countries. Her name is included in the Panch-Kanyas (Five auspicious women) which chanted every morning is supposed to bring Punya or Religious merit. Unlike the mythological goddesses she was quite human with human emotions and feelings like anger, love, hate, happiness and grief. Draupadi was a devoted wife, chaste, religious minded adhering to duty. She was not the dumb follower of her husbands. She had her own individuality. She used harsh words to her husbands and others when necessary. Her unbearable grief was not for herself but because of the sufferings of her husbands in their exile.
Image Courtesy BR Chopra's Mahabharat via Instagram/maharani_draupadi
Draupadi had the presence of mind and
fearlessness even during calamities. She sent Arjun while he was in the
disguise of Brihanlalla as the charioteer of Uttar to defeat the Kaurava’s.
Draupadi was truthful and righteous. She could never bear injustice and could
not stop till the wrong was avenged. Before and during the war Draupadi’s
torment and insult were never forgotten by anyone. She accompanied her husbands
to completely her very end. Wherever they travelled, she went and when it was time
for them to journey towards the heaven she died along the way. It thus becomes
clear that Though Draupadi was desperate for revenge yet she was equally kind
and ready to forgive.
After the death of Kaurava’s in the war,
she was sympathetic towards Gandhari and Dhritarashtra though they were the
parents of her enemies. She respectfully served them and cried when they left
for the forest. Though she was not happy with the Arjuna’s marriage with
Subhadra yet she treated her like a sister. She consoled Uttara (Subhadra’s
daughter-in-law) after Abhimanyu’s death and she herself was grieved too. In
Draupadi’s era there was no question of women’s equality with men. She was very
powerful and because of her chastity, righteousness and devotion to her
husbands, she was saved from the miracles of god like supply of Sari’s in the
assembly when she was being disrobed. Draupadi’s life was universal and beyond
to the limit of time and space. Thus Draupadi’s life can be a source of
inspiration for the women of present era.
(Originally Published at "JETIR" An International, UGC Approved Journal in 2026)
REFERENCES-
(1)Bhawalkar,
Vanmala. Eminent Women in the Mahabharata. New Delhi: Sharada
Publishing. 2002.
(2)Karve I. Yuganta: The end of an epoch.
Orient Black swan, 2006.
(3)Maria,
Mice. Indian Women and Patriarchy, New Delhi, 1980.
(4)McGrath,
Kevin. Stri - Women in Epic Mahabharata. Harvard University Press, 2009.
(5)Sarma, Bharadvaja. Vyasa’s Mahabharatam
in Eighteen Parva’s- The Great epic of India in summary translation.
Academic Publishers, 2008.
(6)Sukhtankar,
Vishnu Sitaram. The Critical edition of Mahabharata, edited by V. S.
Sukhtankar, et.al. Pune, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1933.
ONLINE SOURCES-
http://www.dollsofindia.com/draupadi.htm
http://mythfolklore.net/india/encyclopedia/draupadi.htm
https://www.vyasaonline.com/encyclopedia/draupadi/
Hello friends I am DrRashmi Vajpayee,PhD Awardee,Assistant professor and founder of Rashmi Vajpayee's Confessions on Culture.Here I share everything about Indian Culture and Festivals.I hope you guys enjoy my content so keep reading!.
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