DRAUPPADI - 76

  

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's 

DRAUPADI - 76

The palace floated in air

 a charming sylph on sylvan props

poised to win heaven's eyes, resonant

with auspicious conch, tambourine drums

the Vedic hymns in choric waves

touched the body and soul with balmy calm.

Uttara and Abhimanyu took the rounds

to a rain of flowers from all present.

Sudeshna, Subhadra, Arjuna, Virat

sang in couples couplets of peace and joy.

A beaming Draupadi was everywhere

serving moods of love care and service.

The earth in autumnal fullness lavished

all goodies in uncountable abundance.

Sakha! Draupadi asked when

the merry festivities breathed

in restful sobriety to invite

normal talks of other urgencies.

Sakha, what next do you envisage

after this marriage palliative to our

future health? Krishna Vasudeva

reclining in a chair smiled quizzically

why do you think life is only a sequence

of events transitory and meaningless?

 

Events in time are contributory parts

to the story of  life, the plotline

may be faulty, the people may be hostile

but life is life in its own Order:

O Sakha don't tease me out of my mind,

tell me what to expect, how to proceed -

Is my Sakhi so dim witted not to

anticipate the new sequence of events?

War clouds are gathering all around -

Why Sakha, is there no way for peaceful

settlement of issues   -  Yes there are

if you so choose, but ego overrides

all judgements, arrogance in bubble heroism

breaks the great chain of being:

 

Draupadi hung her head deep in thought

one small step and a hug will remove

all blots from the mind and heart, but

man stubbornly refuses to swallow

his own spit raising the moment

to a pitch of no return -  mused Draupadi.

Krishna gave Draupadi a sympathetic look

Sakhi be brave and face it else

you will be counted as one who ran away

in fear insulting life.

 

I am not running away nor will ever

if war comes choiceless I shall welcome

for better to fall fighting than surrender

your being's worth at the feet of injustice.

But my enemy is Duryodhana, why then

should armies fight ruining life's fabric

in torn despair which generations

cannot repair; Let Bhima and Duryodhana

fight a single combat, let the winner

take all to perpetuate victory.

 

Don't be so naive Draupadi

egos never clash in abstractions;

do you think fighting for rights

is always justified by law, morality,

justice and common sense?

Your enemy too justifies his claim

over something which neither own: The Earth

dear Sakhi, is free of your egoistical claims,

you fight to usurp nature.

The day you learn to worship the given,

the condition to which you come for

a brief time and honour the condition

keeping it safe for posterity, you will

hoist the flag of human glory,

and life  shall be bright pure and good.

 

But Sakha when that happens history

will be over in one generation - Great

now you talk sense, said  Vasudeva

therefore play your role in history

show your greatness  even in blood.

 

I see life ebbing out in the dark

I shall do my best to light up life

but you know I too am bound by nature.

Let the messenger sent to Hastinapur

return we will plan out the next course.