Tattva

A personification of shakti (strength) and bhakti (devotion), Draupadi was one of the bravest and strongest characters in the Mahabharat. Despite being both born and wed into powerful royal families, Draupadi went through countless hardships. She nevertheless emerged victorious and will always be remembered as a valiant woman who stood for the protection of Dharma.

Draupadi is also known by the names Krishnaa (meaning dark-skinned one), Yajnaseni (born from the sacrificial fire), and Panchali (princess of the Panchal kingdom). She was born when her father, King Drupad, performed a yagna to obtain a means to carry out revenge on Drona. Out of the fire emerged Draupadi and her brother, Dhrishtadyumna. Draupadi went on to marry the five Pandava princes and came to Hastinapur as a daughter-in-law of the Kuru clan.

Fiery Spirit and Resolve to Protect Dharma
Born with a fiery spirit, Draupadi demonstrated time and again that she had the courage to stand up for justice. In one of the pivotal scenes of the Mahabharat, the malicious crown prince, Duryodhan, challenged Yudhishthir, the eldest Pandava, to a game of dice. Yudhishthira interpreted Kshatriya Dharma to mean that he could not back down from any challenge, so he accepted. Duryodhan used loaded dice and eventually won Yudhishthir’s wealth, belongings, kingdom, brothers, and even Yudhishthir  himself. Yudhishthira then put Draupadi up at stake and lost the game again. Duryodhan’s brother, Dushasan, forcibly brought Draupadi to the court, dragging her by her hair. Draupadi was forced to listen to the insults of Duryodhan, Dushasan, Karna, and Shakuni. On Duryodhan’s order, Dushasan even attempted to disrobe her in front of everyone, but Shri Krishna protected her honor by providing her with an unending sari; as Dushasan unwrapped layers and layers of her sari, it miraculously kept getting extended.

It was one of the most unfortunate moments in history, the epitome of how bad things had gotten under Dhritirashtra’s rule. The society was in such a dismal state that even the queen’s honor could not be protected. The court included the great Bheeshma, Drona, Vidur, Kripa, and the Pandavas, but nobody was able to stand up for Draupadi; all were sitting silently and watching.

In the entire court, other than Vidur, Draupadi was the only person who was standing up for justice. She lashed out against the entire court, stupefying all with her logic. She questioned the legality of the right of Yudhishthir to place her at stake when he had lost his own freedom and consequently did not possess any property in the first place. Moreover, Draupadi said (and later Krishna also repeated) that Yudhishthir  had no right to put Draupadi at stake because as his wife, she was his jeevan saathi and not his property. Draupadi challenged even the most elderly and respected people in the court. She spoke furiously and bluntly with the king, which even the court elders did not have the courage to do. She called upon everyone present to protect her and when no one answered her pleas, she prayed to Krishna and he protected her. After she rescued her helpless husbands from slavery, even Karna could not help but admire her bravery; he said that like a boat, she rescued her husbands who were drowning in a sea of sorrows.

A Source of Inspiration for the Pandavas
In her resolve to protect Dharma, Draupadi kept the Pandavas motivated and inspired to fight. She vowed to keep her hair unkempt (which was considered undignified at that time) until she had washed her hair with Dushasan’s blood. This was a constantly reminder to the Pandavas to defeat those who had wronged her. She kept her vow and tied up her hair only after Bheem had killed Dushasan.

During their years in exile, there were several times when the Pandavas lost their motivation to fight for Dharma, particularly Yuddhishtir. During these times, Draupadi recounted the horrendous acts committed by the Kauravas and reminded them of their duty. Throughout the thirteen years of exile, Draupadi did not let her husbands forget how she was dishonored and how they were deceitfully deprived of their kingdom.

When it finally came time to fight, Yudhishthir was ready to forgive Duryodhana; he did not want to go to war against his own relatives. But Draupadi spoke words of fire, telling the Pandavas that if they did not fight, she would make her father, brother, Abhimanyu and her five sons avenge her insults. Draupadi herself blew the shankh that signified the start of the war.

Sought Revenge, but not for Herself
Draupadi is sometimes criticized for being too self-centered in terms of her desire for revenge. However, a closer look at her actions shows that this is not the case. She did not encourage the war because she was trying to carry out her own personal vendetta against the Kauravas; rather, she knew that the Kauravas had to be defeated for the protection of Dharma. Evil acts were flourishing under the Adharmic rule of the Kauravas. When even the queen could not find safety in her kingdom, how could any ordinary citizen hope for protection? Duryodhana was a menace to society, and it was for this reason that Draupadi, Krishna, and others sought war. As a counterexample to this, after the war, when Ashwatthama cowardly killed Draupadi’s five sons in their sleep, Draupadi did not allow the Pandavas to kill Ashwatthama. She argued that in this case, killing Ashwatthama would not be for any greater cause but simply for personal revenge.

Draupadi also demonstrated her selflessness after the dice game. Furious at all those who silently watched as she suffered, Draupadi was ready to curse everyone in the court. She exercised self-control at the request of Queen Gandhari; at this point Dhritirashtra, fearful of Draupadi’s power to curse him, finally spoke up. He offered her as many wishes as she wanted, but she asked only for her husbands’ freedom and for their weapons. She said that if she asked for anything more, she would consider it greedy. With their freedom, the Pandavas would be able to get back all they needed by their own karma.

Compassion and Virtue
Draupadi was a multifaceted personality: she could be fiery and angry when the situation called for it, but she still had a compassionate nature. She knew all the servants in the palace by name and they affectionately called her “bahu rani.” She encouraged people to face life with the same inner strength that she did. For example, after Abhimanyu’s death, she consoled his grieving widow, Uttara, by reminding her of the cause for which Abhimanyu gave his life. She encouraged Uttara to gather her strength for the sake of her and Abhimanyu’s child, whom she was carrying at the time. After the war, Draupadi looked after Gandhari with respect and affection, even though Gandhari’s sons had wronged her in so many ways.

Because of her virtuous nature, Draupadi is considered one of the panchakanya, a group of five women who are especially venerated in the Hindu tradition. The other four are: Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas and an accomplished scholar of the Atharva Veda; Tara, the wife of Vali who was instrumental in reconciling Rama with Sugreev; Ahalya, Sage Gautam’s wife who was given a blessing of purity from Shri Ram; and Mandodari, the virtuous wife of Ravan who had the courage to speak out against her husband when he abducted Sita. Simply remembering these virtuous women destroys great sins.

Bhakti: Devotion to God
Perhaps Draupadi’s most exceptional quality was that Shri Krishna considered her his sakhi (friend) and sister. When Krishna cut his finger on his Sudarshan Chakra, Draupadi immediately tore off a piece of her sari and bandaged his cut. Krishna said that with this loving act, she wrapped him in debt and he would repay each “thread” when the time came. Indeed, when Draupadi needed Krishna’s protection and fervently prayed for his help, he came to the rescue and gave her unlimited sari. This is one of the stories of the origin of the Raksha Bandhan festival.

Once, while the Pandavas were in exile, Durvasa Muni, who was known for his quick anger, suddenly decided to drop in along with his many thousands of disciples. He would naturally want something to eat for himself and his followers, but the Pandavas had just eaten and there was no more food left. Fearful of Durvasa’s anger, Draupadi prayed to Krishna. When he appeared, Draupadi took the last grain of rice in the pot and asked Krishna to eat half for himself and half for the whole world. When Durvasa and his disciples arrived, they were all so full that they did not want anything to eat, and thus left peacefully.

Draupadi is an exemplification of bhakti, and she experienced God’s divine presence constantly in her life. When she questioned Krishna about everything that had happened to her, he reassured her: “Dear sister, do not grieve. I promise you that every Kaurava woman will shed more tears than you have shed, for the Adharmic Kauravas and their supporters in this shameful act are sure to perish at the hands of the Pandavas very soon.”

An Ideal for Youth
Draupadi’s determination, fearlessness, and unbending will make her a natural ideal for youth. She always helped the good and refused to bend before the wicked. Her resolve to fight for Dharma did not diminish, even after thirteen years of suffering. She went through more hardships than any of us can imagine, but her inner strength, unshakable faith in God, and character gave her the power to overcome them. Draupadi’s strong spirit and virtuous nature will always be a source of inspiration for Hindu youth.

Aparna is an undergraduate student at Boston University, studying economics and journalism. You can contact her at aparnaggarg@gmail.com.

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