DRAUPADI - 56

 

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's 

DRAUPADI - 56

Draupadi's Disgrace

 

Bring that Draupadi here

she is now my slave let's see

whether her whimpers are as loud

as her laughter was - No Bhima no

you cannot rise just sit there

do my bidding if you love your life,

you, yes you Prasastha go and tell

Draupadi her master needs her here:

Prasastha hesitated a bit then moved.

Meantime the royal court was in horror -

This is too  much Yuvraj spare the

kulabadhu the ignominy, don 't blacken

the Kuru culture with your vengeance -

Kripacharya, Bhisma raised their arms

don't disregard the noble Kuru tradition.

No good will ever come of it, curb your

irrational anger with magnanimity.

Let the game stop here, Pandavas have

lost everything leave them alone: Why

Pitamah, why Kulguru I didn't transgress

the noble norms of your moral authority.

I am within my rights; Yes, yes said Karna,

Dussasana and Shakuni said what's wrong

if the winner claims his prize - seal

your lips all, humped Duryodhana.

All faces fell, the king looked blank

a premonitory silence petrified the court.

 

Reclining on a sofa Draupadi

heard guffaws and loud noises

without deciphering content or words.

She was in a world apart thinking of

life's impalpable truths eluding her

questing mind when Prasastha entered:

He bowed reverentially and said - Pardon

Queen pardon, Yuvraj Duryodhana

has asked you to appear in the court:

Why? I have no business there,

if your Yuvraj has questions of me

ask him to come to my presence.

Your Majesty, he gulped saliva,

Majesty your husband lost you in the dice game

What? Yes your majesty,

king Yudhistira lost kingdom,

property, all Pandavas and himself

and finally wagered you but sadly lost.

You have no freedom to say no to

Duryodhana's orders: Draupadi closed

eyes for a moment and said: Go

ask that gambler Yudhistira whether he

wagered me first or after he had lost

himself to Duryodhana, I shall go when

you return with the proper answer.

 

Prasastha left and reported  - The Queen

my Liege sent me back to ask whether

king Yudhistira lost himself first or her?

How preposterous shouted Duryodhana

and what queen she is now, a dasi

she has no right to ask questions.

The crowns of her five husbands are crushed

under my feet, Dussasana go and drag her

by the hair, that stubborn woman has no

rights, my - Stop Duryodhana ventured Vidura

Draupadi cannot be anyone's dasi for

Yudhistira staked her  when he himself had

lost all his identity freedom and will

how can a dasa a slave retain his

authority to stake his wife - Don't interfere

you have given your unwanted opinion

now sit there and watch - Go Dussasana

drag her by the hair if she resists.

 

Draupadi  stood up she knew her moments

are poised on the precipice of disaster

she braced herself tied her saree edge

around her waist, she was ready for

more humiliation - Dussasana rushed in.

You arrogant woman how dare you

ask questions  and defy your masters?

Come with me else I shall drag you

by your hair - he lunged forward

caught Draupadi's arm, Draupadi

somehow backed off and said look here

don't touch me I am in period - Ha ha

no excuse you slave stop your gimmicks

he held her thick tuft of hair by force

dragged her along the corridor while

Draupadi howled in pain humiliation

shouting - leave me you demon - much to

the amusement of the gang of four.

Bhisma, Vidura and the elders lowered

their eyes in helpless shame, fidgeting

in their seats like imprisoned kings.

Her pain increased as her struggle

weakened by the taunts and guffaws

of the Kauravas led by Shakuni's

cheer leading vituperations - See how

she flutters! Come and sit on my thighs

that is your place now - Bhima stood up

in a rage shouting you Duryodhana

and Dussasana remember this day I take

this vow, If I am a true Pandava

I'll drink the blood of Dussasan's hand

that has touched my Draupadi and

crush the thighs of Duryodhana -

Shut up! You slave, sit down,

you will do all that if you survive:

The Kuru Princes laughed,

the arched globe over head

shook in evil forebodings the earth's,

destiny ran its tremored course

Draupadi trying to free herself

fell spreadeagled on the royal floor.

 

Ah! Alas drowned by Hahas, the Pandavas

Bhima, Arjuna fisted the breathless air

in impotent agony. Bhisma Drona

closed their eyes in sinking souls

Vidura looked at Dhritarastra's bland face,

still eyes registered nothing.

 

Draupadi breathed fast, wiped her eyes

her inner fire ignited her being

her arms legs her entire frame

of syncretic beauty glowed with synergy.

A look of defiance made her charms

biting, penetrative, she moved her eyes

sphered around the vast Durbar Hall:

Yes I am here as the desecraters

in their inflamed victory desired

blackening the palace values and killing

all moral mutuality of relationships.

Let me know - you slut, you are

no more the Empress, all your glorious

past is now futureless at my feet:

How? A single turn of the spiteful dice

cannot rewrite my destiny, if it is so

come and fight with me, you Duryodhana -

Duryodhana stood up in rage, Karna

said a woman with five men

on her bed has no rights to talk of

values, you are a prostitute, a slur

on womanhood you should be denuded

before the public here, Dussa pull out

Draupadi's clothes shouted Duryodhana.

The stunned hall fell silent in total

disbelief but none protested none stood

for Draupadi's honour a woman's pride.

 

Draupadi stood upright folded her hands

prayed to Krishna Vasudeva, Sakha!

Your Sakhi needs you now, her honour

her entire Being, her birth and existence

are about to be looted in the public.

If I mean anything to you Sakha

if a woman's honour is a rooted value

in your human order save it now:

She closed her eyes and stood bracing

herself steeling her nerves for the onslaught.

 

The rough hands touched

the strings of her soul

a hymn of pain rang out

shivering her to the bones

her tears from her closed eyes

folded hands planted feet

every pore of her body

fumed as though cold tears

on her hot agony torn pride

raised smokey sparks of protest

silent firm defiant.

Ocean waves rose high

spraying foam on the stars

thunder blasted the sky

in reverberating fury

her sealed lips closed eyes

folded hands fuming body

messaged blazing blasphemy

to one and all in and out:

Minutes lapsed into eternity

ticking Sakha, Sakha, Sakha

Dussasana pulled and pulled

the saree edge did not stick

in his sweaty palms

each time he held his breath

and pulled the edge

his fingers burned

in wonder and fear he moved

from side to side

used his teeth on the saree

but he failed his arms ached

legs wobbled head reeled

he fell down in a swoon.

Bewildered and wondrous eyes

in the durbar hall of Dhritarastra

looked on the miracle

in open mouthed awe the king

in unseeing eyes sensed

a slight tremor in his throned body.

 

When the murmur died

in the frozen air of the hall

Draupadi opened her eyes

like an eclipsed moon

in slow synecdoche

eyed Dussasana on the floor

saw her dumb husbands

the awestruck hall

and broke down in loud sobs.

She sat down on the ground

shedding copious blood

her pores were all woman, defiled

in the philistine human wild.

 

Vidura came down caressed her

calm down Panchali - She looked

into Vidura's eyes and sighed

she raised herself and stood

facing King Dhritarastra.

May I speak king Dhritarastra

not as your daughter- in -law

not as your subject

I am just a woman wronged,

may I speak to the President

of this gambling den

which you have made of your

Hastinapur palace - But wait!

Who am I addressing here!

A man or a king or a victim

of his own nether ambitions!

No you cannot answer me

nor restore my lost womanhood

you don't see, your vision is blacked out.

 

She turned to Bhisma:

O Gangason the Protector

of kuru dynasty, disciple

of the greatest Guru Parshuram

whom you defeated in a challenge bout,

O' sage of sages wise honest

for you death is self chosen

how can you live then

an other directed life?

People call you grandfather

whose father are you that

I would call you my grandfather?

 

Bhisma's face fell a hint of

annoyance darkened his eyes -

you could not decide whether

a man losing himself would

retain his rights on his wife

all your knowledge of law morality

failed you to answer my question.

But O Sage if a woman is bound by law

to obey her husband till death

is not a husband bound by the marriage vows

to protect his wife till death?

 

Bhisma hung his head as though

an arrow pierced his neck:

I am 'nathbati anathbati'

with five husbands I am destitute.

Wonderful is your Vedas, Upanishadas

your Arthasastra, where the male

is the king he is god he is judge

he is everything and what am I

an expendable lump of flesh

to be chewed and thrown in gutters?

 

Don't you regret Kulguru

Kripacharya for dumping

an opportunity to prove your

intellectual equanimity when

Dussasana brought me here

dragging me by my hair?

And Acharaya Drona don't you

rue the day you accepted

the studentship of these five

Pandavas and hundred Kauravas

all the Pandavas are sedimentary cowards

and the Kauravas are uncultured brutes.

Did you great Drona my father's

one time friend and all time enemy,

teach these Princes to show themselves

in their blackest inhumanity

in the garb of royalty - see how

ugly and gnomic they look - Hey Draupadi

shouted Duryodhana, I'll cut you to pieces

and feed my dog: What else can you do.

You vengeful monster?

And who do you threaten?

One whose mind you have rent forever

whose body you have defiled

whose dignity status honour

you have crushed in a public display

of your inbred obscurantism?

One who has lost the world

doesn't count the change in the purse

My body I hold at straw's price

come with your drawn sword

but give me one I'll not let you

kill me in docile helplessness.

 

She turned to her husbands:

Shall I call you Duryodhana's slave

or my husband number one

or a king fallen in his own esteem

or a Dharmaraj languishing

in the hell of his own making?

My vocabulary fails me, tell me

O sages, scholars, culture vendors

what shall I call Yudhistira who has

lost me in his dicey pleasures.

Something forbidden in the rule book

of kings to refrain from the four vices

hunting, drinking, dicing

and illegitimate sex beyond the

family and royal responsibilities.

The King is the servant of the people

He is paid taxes to serve them:

But what has this man done?

 

He has gambled away the property

which is never earned by him -

A stir disturbed the heavy peace

of  the Durbar, Dhritarastra, Bhisma,

Shakuni, Duryodhana the guest kings

and every breathing person in the Hall

revolted in half articulated fuss.

The noise shook the Hall - Shakuni

stood up crackling the dice - we are

not here to listen this

ramblings of a fallen woman -

Why not ? A woman is not your

footrest - Yes I am fallen, gambled

away by a  king and yes Emperor

who has staked the jewels, land

and people, human beings, his

working staff, helping hands, brothers

and finally his wife: May I ask

By what rights? How could he

stake away the hopes aspirations

well being of the millions of Indraprastha?

 

And my other worthy husbands!

Are you the personal property

of your brother too! I know

you love and respect your brother

which is great. I respect my brother,

my parents and all my elders:

But should respect drown

our morals rationality and

even the freedom to live

as entities seeking our

own destinies? And my victor.

My Arjuna how could you be quiet

when I was staked?

I am wife to you all

my Bhima and my Nakula Sahadeva

all saw my humiliation

but not a word was thrown

as a stale flower in my defence -

 

Draupadi broke down again

her eyes were streams, body

a limp frame sinking into

the sterile floor - but she

stood straight again: No it would be

a travesty of my birth

a negation of my self and soul,

a denigration of my womanhood

If I make meek surrender:

Hear you Heavens!

Hear you Nature

my Mother divine

O fire O Earth O Rivers

O Air O Sky - If Draupadi

has never deviated

from the right path -

If Draupadi respected

Men Women Animals Insects

with Nature's equanimity

let my curse on these

marauders of civilization...

 

No - No - my child

cried Gandhari unescorted

came dashing against

pillars falling rising crying

No my child no no don't curse

even without your curse these

infantile sinners will rot in hell.

Gandhari groped for her and

clasped her tight Draupadi

leaned on her shoulder crying

her guts out, Gandhari too

wept making the Hall

resound mortality.

 

No more tears my child

I had made my feelings known

to the king my husband

not to allow this dirty game

but he couldn't resist our son.

This madness must end O king

return everything  our son Yudhistira

lost here - Yes, yes Gandhari

said Dhritarastra rising, Draupadi

I return all the wealth, men women

to Yudhistira, I free all Pandavas

but don't curse pardon them

and Draupadi I will give you more

ask anything you want, Ask Draupadi

Gandhari held the face of Draupadi

I understand your agony, I am a woman

I was informed late but we will

make amends ask my child!

Draupadi looked up studied the faces

the King, Queen, Bhisma, Drona

the Pandavas the Kauravas all appeared

small, tiny, pigmies were they all.

You want me to ask but can you give?

Yes, Draupadi I give you word -

 

Can you give me my honour back?

Can you wipe off the memory of this day

from my mind, can you wash away

the imprint of Dussasana's hands

from my body and soul, tell me now

can your charity or godlike boon

free my soul of this greatest ignominy

a woman suffered in your world

in your presence under your Presidentship?

No king you are afraid my curse

would destroy your tinsel glory

your so called cultural pride your vanity.

I have got my reward O great king

today I know who I am, today I know

your court has poisoned the Amrit of life.

I saw my Being, my womanhood my worth

as Princess, Queen, Empress and all.

I am a mere life form a female

I can merely ask beg, I cannot offer

to give, my place is left of centre

only to repeat in rhyme all your words:

but here and now I deny all that

I am Draupadi I am myself

I will create my own Being

however lonely small and meaningless

it maybe - I am no one's daughter

wife or any such thing - I am my vastness

I will build my bridges to God, Nature and Man.

 

Kunti came running from the other side

held her hand and almost carried her

 away from the Durbar Hall.

All eyes turned inward for a while,

Only Bhisma and Vidura looked at each other

there was a glint in their eyes.

The churn of hate has rent the heart of love.