A Word From The Heart
A woman has mainly two faces: Lover and Wife. Later she becomes a Mother, Sister etc. In the history of mankind, in my view, there was no greater woman than Draupadi, mythical though, who combines these two roles with greater symbiosis. Cleopatra, a historical figure, could be admired as the greatest Lover but she was not much of a wife (to Caesar and Antony). Draupadi has lived with five husbands of diverse temper at the same time. There are 'Many - men' women but none like Draupadi, therefore, she had a great fascination for me.
I do not subscribe to ideas and statements like: "Creation of woman is the greatest blunder of Nature"- (Bernard Shaw) Nor do I believe that misogyny and feminism have any real human meaning beyond power struggle in gender politics, Draupadi is vast, various, vivacious, victim and victimizer all in one and more: I have tried to trace the idea and the woman in my effort to write an Epic as a 21st-century man. I am deeply read into the epics in Sanskrit and Odia but I have not based my Draupadi on any model.
If my readers patiently follow the state, stature and status of my
Draupadi in the serialization I would be gratified.
Prafulla Kumar Mohanty
DRAUPADI -1
Entry Into The World
The tongues
of fire in fury
licked the
mantra charmed space
the priests
in fright raised
the tempo of
vedic verse
the flame
took form and shape
A maiden
full grown
like a
package of beauty
opened her
eyes in sunbright
languor
winked to wonder.
Who am I? Why am I?
In this
strange world
beauteous
and wild?
Am I born
here or
I am a fire
maiden
sent here commissioned
for a
purpose divine.
But who
should I call mother ?
Who has
fathered me?
I came out of the yajna fire
to the chant
of verses
half heard,
half understood.
Who are
these greeting me
blowing
conches in joywild rhythms
who is this
king Drupad
he is not my
biological parent,
and he
mainly wanted a son
never wanted
a female child.
Am I a trespasser then
unwanted visitor
to these
motley
elements on earth?
The king wanted
an Avenger,
to kill his Ashram mate turned foe
for egoistic
irrelevance.
Then who Am
I?
What am I here for
fully grown
beautiful
full of
vigour and fanciful
ambitions more than
an ordinary woman can hold!
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