DRAUPADI - 55

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's 

DRAUPADI - 55 

The Dice Game

 

A hush descended on the durbar Hall

when king Dhritarastra settled on his throne

presiding over what history could record

as the slaughter of Humanity -

where Man's rational fulcrum turned turtle.

The king flagged off the game to please

the whims and murderous fancy of his son.

 

The crooked dice rolled to the call of Shakuni

dooming Yudhistira's gold, diamond rubies

to the maws of Duryodhana's greed

his laughter drowned all sighs and frowns

Yudhistira's Creta, Treta, Dwapar melted

in the  cauldron of Kali, he drew a blank

at every turn of the mystic bones.

Shakuni's sleight of hand strangled

Yudhistira's fortune damning the Pandavas

to the inferno of beggary penury and

indelible shame in life here and hereafter.

 

You have lost your wealth, kingdom

your brothers, brother Yudhistira

Duryodhana said with gloating hilarity.

Your kingdom, jewellery, soldiers, servants

all are mine now, your brothers the great

Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva are my servants,

what else do you have to stake brother?

I have myself - ha - ha- ha- yes a crownless

body sits and speaks well then try:

The dice refused to oblige, the stunned

Kuru court was deafened by  

Duryodhan's boisterous laughter,

Shakuni's triumphant jibes,

Karna's defiant roars which

enhanced Bhisma's agony, Drona's rage

but the blind eyes of Dhritarastra,

the Deity of Disaster,

never lost their unseen glint.

Duryodhana thundered -  now you too are

my slave admit defeat and fall

at my feet - But nephew dear

the game is not over, the great

Yudhistira has not acknowledged defeat.

- I have nothing to play with

said Yudhistira hanging his face -

Who said you have nothing? You have

the greatest treasure of the country

said Duryodhana echoed by Karna:

You have Draupadi your wife

the arrogant beauty whose laughter

still rings in my ears, stake her:

Yudhistira raised his face his eyes,

a glimmer of hope, he sat straight

I now stake Draupadi against

everything I lost so far - No o o !

A loud no rang in the conscience

of Bhisma, Drona, Kripacharya but

the reverberation ended where it began.

 

Bhima  Arjuna protested a desperate

howling of anger immediately silenced

by the Duryodhana brigade - You slaves!

How dare you shout  here without permission?

You have no choice, no voice save

to serve me, please me to eat and sleep.

Mama! Yudhistira has already staked

give me the magic number to claim

Draupadi and trounce her pride

by mastering her in my private chamber:

The dice rolled the desired number

voiceless Yudhistira was dead inside

the Pandavas lost whatever was left of

their identities, their manly essence.