Mahabharata Reading Notes B

Mahabharata pg:54-83

                                             Image Details: Draupadi, Source: Wikimedia

After Yudhistira is challenged to place a game of dice with the Kauravas, he tells the men that he willing to play against them. However, he tells them that they must play a fair game. Sakuni tells Yudhistira that there is no such thing as cheating, just people who are smart enough to find another way to win the game. As the game progresses, Yudhistira soon becomes engrossed in the game and starts to raise the stakes. However, Sakuni wins every round against Yudhistira and conquers all his wealth. Vidura tells Dhristriasta to cancel the games as he thinks that Sakuni was cheating. Duryodhana becomes annoyed with Vidura and tells that no such thing is happening. Yudhistira begins to gamble each one of his brothers and then finally himself when he runs out of wealth to bet. Finally, he bets Draupadi into servitude and Sakuni wins.

Duryodhana asks his men to bring Draupadi into court. Draupadi refuses to come as she believes that Yudhistira did not have any right to bet her in the game as he was already bound to servitude when he bet her. Draupadi tells Dussasana that she will not come to court as she is on her period. However, Dussasana refuses to listen to her and drags her to court. Karna, Dussasana, and Sakuni make fun of Draupadi and the state that she is was in. Vikarna, the youngest of the Kauravas addresses the court and tells them that they are making a mistake as Draupadi was not won into servitude fairly. Karna tells Vikarna that he is mistaken and that Draupadi was not a pious woman as she was married to five men. He even goes as far as to call her a whore.

Duryodhana orders his men to disrobe Draupadi of her sari in public. Dussasana begins to pull her sari, but Draupadi calls out to Lord Krishna to her. Krishna hears her cries and begins to replace that Dussasana removed from Draupadi. Dhritarashtra tells Draupadi that she was a pious women and that she deserved to ask him for any boon she wishes. Draupadi asks him to release her husband and Dhritarashtra gives back the Pandavas wealth. However, Duryodhana corrupts Dhritarashtra’s mind and asks his father to call the Pandavas back to the kingdom for another game. The Pandavas return and play another game; however, they lose to Sakuni and are exiled to the wilderness.

Bibliography: R.K. Narayan, Mahabharata: A shortened modern prose version of the Indian epic, 1978.