Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's
DRAUPADI - XXXII
How could a kingdom be divided?
When the Kuru Court could not resolve
the claims of the Pandav Princes
challenged by stubborn Duryodhan
the learned celibate grandfather
advised division of Hastinapur!
The eyeless king acquiesced in
despite the fierce protests of his son
who for him was more than the kingdom,
his blind love for the supercilious
Duryodhan's ambitions was hurt;
yet he had to accept the verdict
to avoid war with the Pandavs.
Indraprastha was given to the Pandavs,
a barren tract of snake infested
forests and underdeveloped land
superficially showing largeheartedness.
Draupadi knew it was humiliating
to be a woman of splintered affections
torn asunder by contrasts, conflicts
every evening to feel guilty
but she controlled herself :
She will not be a
willing victim
of despair, she must expand her
feminine self to accommodate all
what can be expected
in this world
where a kingdom is divided, nay
the earth is divided as though
man is the master of
creation
the elements must obey his frenzied
wishes, he can kill, rape
snatch throw and tear apart
what he has never made:
This must change and I shall be
the change bringer, the change maker
in this world gone wild with too much
wishes, desires and disregard of values
reducing the institution of life
to a drunken orgy of riotous desires
as if Man is the author to create
chaos at will anarchy by choice
divide destroy kill by impudent logic.
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