Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata Read online

  Drupada wanted to give his daughter to Arjuna, the greatest archer in the world, but since everyone believed that Arjuna along with his brothers and his mother had all been killed in a palace fire, Drupada had no choice but to hold an archery contest and find the next best archer for his daughter.

  In Vedic times, all kings were expected to have by their side a sage who advised them on ritual, spiritual, occult as well as political matters. This was the raj-guru or royal tutor. Jupiter or Brihaspati served as the guru to Indra, king of the Devas. Venus or Shukra served as guru to Bali, king of the Asuras. Since the Pandavas were destined to be kings, they are advised to keep by their side a guru. This could be seen as an early form of alliance between state and religion.

  The Mahabharata is a Vaishnava epic, that is it focuses on the virtues of Vishnu, the world-affirming form of God. Shiva, the world-renouncing form of God, appears repeatedly in the epic as the deity invoked by characters burning with vengeance such as Amba, Drupada, and later, Arjuna.

  Shiva is considered Ardha-nareshwara, a god who is half woman. The children born through his grace possess both male and female qualities. Drupada’s first daughter, Shikhandi, transforms into a son later in life. The next time, the magic potion splits creating two children—one totally male and the other totally female. Dhrishtadyumna is visualized as a highly violent man while his twin sister, Draupadi, is visualized as a highly sensuous woman.

  It is significant to note that Hidimbi, the Rakshasa woman, is not considered as a daughter-in-law either by Kunti or Dhaumya. It suggests a racist stance.

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  Draupadi’s swayamvara

  ‘Go to the swayamvara of Drupada’s daughter disguised as priests and see what happens,’ advised Dhaumya. ‘If she was created to be Arjuna’s bride, then nothing in the world can stop that from happening.’

  The Pandavas followed Dhaumya into Drupada’s court. Since they presented themselves as Brahmans, they could not participate. They sat in the pavillion meant for Rishis, Tapasvins and Brahmans and watched the Kshatriyas compete.

  All participants were asked to string a bow and shoot the eye of a fish rotating on a wheel suspended from the roof of the hall while looking at its reflection in a vat of oil. A difficult feat, one that everyone agreed could have been done by Arjuna had he been alive.

  Many archers from around Bharata-varsha came and tried their luck. Some could not even string the great bow. Others fell into the vat of oil while trying to see the reflection of the fish. The rest shot arrows everywhere except at the eye of the fish.

  Duryodhana did not participate because he was already married to Bhanumati, princess of Kalinga, and he had promised her that he would never marry another. So in his place, he sent his friend, Karna.

  When Karna was about to try, Draupadi stood up and said, ‘No, the son of a charioteer cannot contend for my hand in marriage.’ Thus humiliated publicly, Karna withdrew.

  When all the Kshatriyas had tried and failed, Drupada invited the Brahmans to participate. Arjuna immediately rose, picked up the bow, looked at the reflection of the eye of the rotating fish and released the arrow. The arrow hit its mark and the audience cheered. Every one was dumbfounded that a Brahman could do what Kshatriyas could not.

  Some of the assembled warriors tried to stop Arjuna from claiming Draupadi as his prize, but they stepped back on finding out that the bow-wielding priest had the protection of his four very strong brothers.

  Ideally, during a swayamvara, a woman was supposed to choose a husband from among the assembled men. But as time passed, this right was taken away from women. The swayamvara became an archery contest. The bride was the winner’s trophy. But the woman concerned had the right to disqualify men from the tournament as Draupadi disqualifies Karna.

  A folktale from Gujarat says that Jarasandha, the emperor of Magadha, wanted to participate in the swayamvara of Draupadi. But he did not go when he overheard people on the street saying, ‘If he loses, everyone will make fun of him, for humiliating himself so publicly. If he wins, everyone will still make fun of him, for getting himself so young a wife.’ Thus, in life, there are situations that you cannot win, no matter what happens.

  Draupadi rejects Karna on grounds of his apparent social status when unknown to all, he is actually a warrior. When no warrior is able to strike the target, Drupada compromises and allows priests to participate. Draupadi accepts her father’s compromise, and marries a priest who turns out to be a warrior in disguise. Thus Vyasa draws attention to the folly of being driven more by external apparent truths rather than by underlying actual truths.

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  The common wife

  ‘Look what I won at the tournament, mother,’ said Arjuna.

  Without turning around, Kunti said, ‘Whatever it is, share it equally with your brothers.’

  ‘But it is a woman,’ said Arjuna.

  Kunti turned around and found the beautiful Draupadi next to Arjuna. She also noticed that all her sons were attracted to her. Fearing that a woman would disrupt the unity of her sons, she said, ‘What I have said must be done if you are truly my sons, provided dharma allows it.’

  Dharma did allow it. Yudhishtira narrated the story of Vidula who according to the ancient chronicles had married the ten Prachetas brothers. With this reference, there was nothing to stop Draupadi from becoming the common wife of the five Pandavas.

  In her past life, Draupadi had invoked Shiva and asked for a husband who was honest, a husband who was strong, a husband who was skilled, a husband who was handsome and a husband who was knowledgeable. Shiva had said, ‘You will get all five men that you want for no single man, except God, can have all those qualities.’

  In another past life, Draupadi was Nalayani, the wife of a Rishi called Maudgalya. He had a terrible disease that made him cough and spit all day and covered his skin with scales and rashes. Still Nalayani served him as a devoted wife. Pleased with her unstinting service, the sage offered her a boon. Nalayani requested that he use his ascetic powers to indulge all her sexual desires. Accordingly, Maudgalya took the forms of many different men, some human, some divine, all handsome, and made love to her in many different ways. After indulging in sexual pleasures for many years, Maudgalya decided it was time to renounce the world. But Nalayani was not satisfied. ‘Who will make love to me after you are gone?’ she asked. Disgusted by her insatiable lust, the Rishi cursed her that in her next life she would be the wife of many men.

  In their previous lives, all the Pandavas had served as Indras and single-handedly protected their queen, Sachi, and their celestial city of Amravati. But in their current life, they would, even collectively, be unable to protect their queen or their kingdom. For this was the twilight of the Dvapara yuga, the third quarter of the world’s lifespan.

  Vyasa never clarifies why Kunti does not retract her statement when she realizes that what Arjuna is referring to is a woman and not a thing. Kunti knows that the only strength she has is the unity of her sons. She insists they marry the same woman because she fears if Draupadi marries only Arjuna, sexual jealousy will cause a rift between the brothers.

  There are a few tribes in India such as the Todas in the south and the hill tribes of Uttaranchal where polyandry is followed to prevent division of property. The household always has one kitchen and one daughter-in-law. The sons have the freedom to either share the wife or become ascetics or find pleasure elsewhere with mistresses and prostitutes, who have no legal right over the family property.

  Many variations of the Nalayani story are found in Malayalam literature, for example, such as the 16th century Bharatam Pattu and the 18th century Nalayani Charitram. They are attempts to explain Draupadi’s polyandry that clearly discomforted many people.

  Book Seven

  Friendship

  ‘Janamejaya, God, who walked this earth as Krishna, gave up his beloved and his music, so that he could take care of your family.’

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  Krishna enters

  Just