Draupadi

Mahabharatha is not only an epic. It is greatest tragdey  of Indian Literature according to me. Every character there is living a hell. 

More so with women. Whether it is Kunti who though married to a king, loses him and has to live in a forest to bring up her children. Who could never  see her children really happy and peaceful. 

Or it is Gandhari, the daughter of Gandhara king, but married to a blind prince who couldn't be a king because if this disability, who is even blind for the wrong doings of his children, who is unable to stop his children from their evil ways. Who finally loses all her children in the war. 

And Draupadi who has to face the shame of her saree being pulled in front of the entire royal court by her own brother in law and whose five husbands were mute witnesses to this shame and insult.

What was here fault in this? She like all other princesses or like all other young girls had dreams about her life partner. He should be the bravest, strongest and whom nobody can defeat. So she asked her father to arrange a competition in archery. 

 And the Pandava prince Arjuna won the competition. This should have brought the story to a happy ending. But no. Instead this started her never ending journey through hell. Well one version of the story says that Kunti misheard that Arjuna brought a Hennu (girl) as Hannu(fruit) and asked the sons to share it equally. Another version says that  she did not want her sons to be divided for a girl so she asked Draupadi to wed all of them. Kunti is also a woman. She should have understood how difficult it is to be a wife to five husbands. 

Anyways, Draupadi gets married to panch pandavas. And she gives birth to five sons who are just called upa pandavas - we never even hear their actual names.

Then came the dyuta - the dice gambling. Duryodhana invites Yudhistira to gambling. And Yudhishtara keeps losing everything in the game. He loses himself, his brothers and also his wife. 

Now Karna says Draupadi is now our servant. She should not wear these beautiful sarees, bring her here and remove her saree. Dushasana - brother of Duryodhana willingly and cruelly brings Draupadi to royal court and starts pulling her saree. 

Bhishma - the great grand father, Dritharashtra - the father in law, Drona - the royal guru - and five husbands are all mute spectators to  this  humiliating outrageous shame. But do not stop Dushasana. Then Draupadi pleads to Krishna to help her. who makes her saree never end so that her honor is saved.

During Ajnatavasa, where all of Pandavas and Druapadi have to live in disguise, Druapadi will be Sairandhri - the servant of Queen of Virata. But queen's brother Keechaka tries misbehave with her and she will be saved by Bheema.

And ultimately the Mahabharatha war is fought and won by Pandavas. But what does she get? All her sons are killed in their sleep by Ashwathama.

Ashwaththama thought they are Pandavas and in order to revenge the death of his father Drona , kills the sleeping Upa pandavas.

Was our country so cruel to women even thousands of years ago?