The plight of Draupadi

Yudhishthira had lost all he possessed as stake in the game of dice to Duryodhana. The Pandavas, themselves, became virtually the slaves of the Kauravas. Duryodhana claimed that Draupadi also belonged to him as Yudhishthira had wagered and lost her, too. Vidura had refused to fetch Draupadi for him. So, he sent his charioteer, by name Pratikami, to Draupadi.

An order to Draupadi

The daughter of Panchala had come adorned with rich clothes and priceless jewelry to the Kaurava palace. Pratikami found her wearing a single piece of cloth. Everything else was lost as stakes. Pratikami conveyed the message of the Kaurava prince to the Pandava queen. She was anticipating trouble and did not lose her courage even after hearing the shocking order from the Kaurava. She sent Pratikami back with a question addressed to Yudhishthira. Whom did he lose as stake first, himself or her? She wanted an answer to this question before she would obey the order from Duryodhana.

When Pratikami conveyed those words from Draupadi to Yudhishthira he simply kept quiet. Duryodhana demanded, by way of a reply, that Draupadi should come in person to the hall and ask that question herself.

Again went the charioteer back to the Pandava queen and conveyed the new message from his master. Draupadi, still, insisted that she wanted an answer to her question first. If Yudhishthira was unable to answer her, let the question be raised in the open assembly.

Pratikami did as he was asked to do. All the elderly statesmen like Bhishma, Vidura, Drona and Kripa heard the words of Draupadi repeated by Pratikami, but, kept quiet fearing the wrath of the Kaurava prince.

Dussasana to fetch Draupadi

Duryodhana was frustrated. He had won all the wealth of the Pandavas and the five of them had become his slaves. To treat their queen as his maid in public was his ultimate victory. That was being delayed. So, he ordered his brother, Dussasana, to fetch Draupadi. The brute Dussasana did not bother that the person whom he was approaching was the princess of Panchala and the queen of the Pandavas. She was, by status, the wife of his elder brothers and, hence, equal to his mother. Yet, he went straight and grabbed the Pandava queen by the hair and pulled her all the way to the assembly. Draupadi tried to plead with him that she was not properly dressed to appear before the public. Dussasana neither cared for the etiquettes nor for the sad plight of the helpless woman whom he was tormenting.

Draupadi, wailing all the way, pleaded with the senior Kauravas after reaching the hall, for justice. She asked whether the like of Bhishma were not watching what was happening. Was it right to treat her like a servant when Yudhishthira had become a slave before pledging her as stake?

Failing to evoke any response from them, she sent angry glances to her five heroic husbands who all stood with downcast looks.

Dussasana had no time to waste for the judgement of right and wrong. He called her as their “maid” and asked her to sweep the floor. Karna was upbeat with the turn of events and encouraged the young Kaurava on with his work.

Bhima’s anger

Bhima could not stand the sad plight of Draupadi resulting from the thoughtless action of his elder brother. He spoke in harsh words to him and shouted to Sahadeva to fetch fire for him to burn those hands of Yudhishthira that caused this humiliation to their dear wife. Arjuna was quick to rebuke Bhima for losing his normal balance.

There was one lone voice among the hundred Kaurava princes who tried to defend Draupadi. His name was Vikarna. He said that Draupadi’s question was relevant on moral grounds. He was of the view that the Pandava queen was not won over by Duryodhana, as Yudhishthira had become, himself, a slave before that.

Karna refuted Vikarna’s stand and justified the action of Dussasana. He went to the extent of questioning the very chastity of Draupadi who had wed five husbands.

Even the last piece of cloth

Karna, further, said that even the single piece of cloth worn by Draupadi belonged to the Kauravas. He encouraged Dussasana to take possession of that, too! Dussasana immediately grabbed the only clothe Draupadi was wearing with the intention of disrobing her.

Words would fail to describe the plight of the Pandava queen at that time. She had already been brutally humiliated in front of the public with her husbands and the senior Kauravas watching. Now she was going to be put to such shame that no woman would ever even dare to dream of. She could not think of anyone who could help her in her moment of agony.

Krishna to the rescue

Then, she thought of Krishna whom she loved dearly as god. She prayed to him with the words that she was sinking in the sea of the Kauravas. Only he could pull her out. A miracle happened at that time. Dussasana pulled off the cloth she was wearing and another piece appeared beneath. The Kaurava pulled that, too, out and to his surprise there was still another protecting the modesty of Draupadi. Piece by piece and layer by layer a heap of cloths was pulled out, but, Draupadi was still safe. Exhausted and frustrated, Dussasana abandoned his effort and returned to his seat.

Bhima’s pledge

Bhima was a helpless onlooker of the scene because of his bondage. But, watching the demeaning way Dussasana was trying to humiliate Draupadi he lost all his temper. He roared in fury that he would tear open the chest of Dussasana in fight and drink the blood with his hands. These words of revenge sworn in public by Bhima reverberated throughout the assembly hall. The common people who had gathered there blamed Dhritarashtra for letting the events to reach that extent.

We shall learn about the subsequent events resulting from the fateful game of dice in the next episode onwards.