DRAUPADI -69

  

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's 

DRAUPADI - 69

The Year Of Incognito

 

When the Pandavas broke the hut

and started moving directionless

in the shady domain of thick jungles,

Draupadi wondered why this hideous

self negation to keep breathing?

Where can man hide in this open

vat spread of the  universe? Are we born

to live incognito in disguise?

The meanest flower under slimy

stones cranes its neck to see

and be seen by others:

for a flower dying a virgin

is a waste of nature.

Birds sing not for their own pleasure

they reveal the worth of their being.

The astral sky is also for show

luminosity is its own salvation

only when viewed longingly by billions.

 

Why should my husbands each capable

of challenging, turning the world

on its axis by their personal prowess

cower under irrational evil in disguise,

lest they be discovered to repeat

their unlawful unjust exile?

They know as I do you only die once ,

 why hide your face, voice and nature

and live for one year under tempers

unworthy of your true nature?

Draupadi could not walk with her

heart heavy on her unwilling feet.

 

She said: O forsaken heroes of Fortune

why are you wading through thick darkness

for fear of life, walking like thieves

fleeing from the hands of law?

Where will you hide you bright

Pandavas in what earth hole of safety?

When fear chokes your voice

and cripples your bodies the true heroes

stand firm to face thunderbolts in honour,

come challenge the Kaurava brothers

to single combats to settle the unjust

dice game rules by manful defiance.

 

Calm Panchali calm, we have endured

the wrongful barbs for my impulsive

actions, now patience must hold us

to our integrity, said Yudhistira in a

sad voice as if to himself in anguish.

Panchali retorted, we are all together

in this dark forest searching for

a place to hide; does this behove us,

this passive cowardly run around

for dear life - We feel your pain

Panchali, but we cannot fight,

Arjuna said, we have no army, no armaments,

Duryodhana is resource ready to fight

we have nothing, not even chariots -

That's not the issue Arjuna, Yudhistira

averred, we are atoning for my sins!

My dharma does not permit me to flout

the rules, the agreed conditions, however

ridiculous, it may sound, we have

no choice but to endure our pain

for the thirteenth year to roll over:

But where are we heading to, the twelfth

year will end very soon and the

Kaurava spies must be everywhere.

What plans we have for the year of

 hiding our identities and where?

 

Draupadi moaned and sat down

on the ground exhausted and tearful

Pandavas too sat down consoling Draupadi.

We are going to Virat, not to Panchal -

No, never to Panchal, I cannot carry my

shame to my father's kingdom -

Nor are we going there Panchali, assured Yudhistira

neither to Trigarta, Virat is our only hope,

I have made contacts with some people

who are already at it, now let us not

rue our fate nor think of revenge,

let's concentrate on the present and

keep our mind soul together for the

challenging year to pass without events.

We are all moving towards Virat

hope the morning sun changes our lot.