Palace of Illusions
One more book on Indian mythology. So many characters, with each character there is a moral tale attached. This read travailed some contrary thoughts in my mind. I have no other choice, but sharing it with you.
Draupadi is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada
of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas in the epic Mahabharata. When Yudhisthira
becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi (again) becomes
the queen of Indraprastha. She is also variously referred to as Panchali
(meaning one from the kingdom of Panchala) & Mahabhaaratii (great
wife of the five descendants of Bharata). She is described in the Mahabharata
as being extraordinarily beautiful, unsurpassed by any other woman of her time.
Draupadi is one of the Panch-Kanya (The Five Virgins) of the ancient
Hindu epic, as is her Mother-in-Law Kunti.
For a woman to have so many descriptions is in itself very
cryptic. So many stories and so much buzz about how her life was a self invited
mess. Why couldn’t she speak for herself? I guess women that time and this time
were both suppressed. Right now by taxi drivers and that time by kings and
literally by ‘men of honor’. Now I will start showcasing my regards in
association to this whole “Mahaaaaabhaaarat” thingy.
So you have a Swayamvar, and refuse a man with good looks
and swordsArt just because he is from a lower caste. You say NO. You do express
your desire of not marrying. But when you get married and are appropriated to
be a gift bought for 5 sons’ by a heedless Kunti, you just drink back your
tears and stay put. You don’t fight, you don’t retaliate…you don’t rebel! Why?
Ok..chalo Draupadi stays mum. But how can a Mum do so to
another woman! Unknowingly Kunti replies to Yudhisthir, share whatever you
bought amongst the 5 you, and Yudhisthir, the man of words, the righteous king…
for once could not excuse her mother for not knowing her orders? Couldn’t he
explain to his loved Mother, that what you want us to share is not an object,
but a human being? Please look back and bless the newlyweds Arjun and Draupadi.
Everything said and done, they do have to share Draupadi,
and they all agree. Not even one of the 5 noble Pandavas has the courage to
step back and say this is wrong. Polyandry can’t be something
that we can practice just because our respected mother was mistaken!
Owing to her marriage to five husbands, Draupadi had to live
with each one of them turn-by-turn for one year each. She had the boon to be
born virgin every year, and is therefore called an eternal Kanya (a virgin). Oh
my…if it was me in such a chaotic situation, I would have re-appealed for a
boon where every year, when it was time to start fresh with one of the 5
husbands I would forget about my past one year and start all over. I would
willfully ask for my ‘Yaadaasth’ to go on and off for the entire husband swapping
period.
So you are a Queen, you have a palace; you have all the
comforts and luxuries you always wanted. Maya grants you all the illusions you
want. Someone new to your house falls and you mock at them! How rude can you be
being a Queen? At least you could have felt bad on face and lampooned Duryodhan
behind his back. Words can be more painful than wounds, words can house in your
conscience and remain there as imperishable wounds. Wounds that ache and bleed
every now and then.
Ok so you get ridiculed on a shabby fall, get laughed upon
by a bunch of women and but of course get teased by Dignity of a Queen…whom you
are really not a big fan of. Then you don’t play upon her on a game to win and
acquire as a procession. Doesn’t that almost amount to pouring acid on a girl’s
face, or posting her objectionable pics online to demean her? So…nothing much
has changed then and now. As revenge you show off your mighty thighs signaling
for the queen to give you a lap dance, and then ask your younger brother to
strip off her saree until she becomes bare. What kind of rearing is that??? At least
today there is porn, there are strip clubs, there are call women, the desire to
have fun can be satisfied in one way or the other, but back then one conspired
this atrocious act in a hall full of public! I think the seeds for such
catastrophes were laid back then!
The lord with the flying fan on his finger, the God with all
the powers, the God whose Leela was Aprampaar, all he did was supplied more and
more material for the saree that Draupadi was wearing. He could use his powers
punish Duryodhan & Co’ with a paralytic attack, or heart attack any other
freaking attack or could use his flying fan for once and beheaded the wrong! If he could have chastised the “Black Dhoti Co’” the big war,
Mahabharat…wouldn’t have taken place at all. I think the drapery was called
Sari, until the lord with peacock feather in his helmet supplied meters and
meters of material until Dushhasan exhausted, they started calling it Sareee!
The extra e’s gives the saree’s length its meaning!
So Duryodhan gets special drishti from his mother and turns
to steel which was a blessing for him (at least he thought so that…!). I am
glad he was ashamed of going completely naked in front of his mother; hence
covered his pelvic area…or else he would have to find a match like himself,
where steel could ‘DO’ steel…Lol…Just can’t imagine that!!!
What is with these Shraap’s???... Dude if you are annoyed by
someone just tell them so…or monetarily penalize them…or ask them not to talk
to you again. Why to curse? One was considered to be sage a learned man …but
without any control over their anger! Most of our Katha’s (mythological ones)…are
enriched with Shraap’s and the episodes following that.
Well my mockery can go on and on. As children most of us
watched Mahabharat on Sunday mornings. Our grandparents watched it as if it was
a LIVE telecast from heaven. Things with our children from now on generation
would rather change. Chota Bheem might be more interesting than most of the
characters back then. As for me, I can accept as true that mythology had evil
and good equally. But some where the logic defies every time something needs to
be comprehended. I have nothing against the people who follow and idolize Katha’s
and mythology. This was just an effervescent vent of what I felt in my mind
when heard or watched so many strong characters on screen portraying such
peanut parade of jealousy, emotions and anger. Reading my thoughts might make
you laugh and might cross your sentiments. But do not get Red with anger, do
not get offended and throw some illogical ‘Shraap’ at me. You know why???…because
they won’t work!
