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Draupadi VIII - Disrobing

© Harsh Nevatia

Yudhishthir had a weakness for gambling and Duryodhana's maternal uncle, Shakuni was an expert cheat, whose loaded dice would dance at his whims. Duryodhana invited Yudhishthir to Hastinapur for a game of dice. Yudhishthir ignored the advice of his wife and brothers and accepted the invitation.

The game was held in the official court of King Dhritarashtra and in full attendance of the elders and teachers of the Kaurava family. Though they were not in favour of holding this event they did not have the power to oppose the wishes of the crown prince, Duryodhana. As was expected, Yudhishthir began to lose. He lost his wealth, his kingdom, his brothers and even himself. Now, a pauper and a slave he declared that he had nothing left to wager. Then Duryodhana reminded Yudhishthir that Draupadi was yet a free woman. If he wagered Draupadi and won Duryodhana would return to Yudhishthir all that he had lost so far. Yudhishthir accepted and lost.

Duryodhana asked Vidur, his uncle and chief minister to instruct Draupadi to join the retinue of mid-servants, but Vidur refused to carry out the heinous act. In fact he was the only one in that august assembly who spoke out against Duryodhana. Then Duryodhana sent a guard named Pratikami to escort Draupadi to the court. Draupadi refused stating that as she was having her menstrual cycle it was inauspicious for her to appear before her elders. In any event it was against protocol to send a mere guard to escort the Empress of Indraprastha. Duryodhana then told his brother, Dushasan to fetch Draupadi. “Drag her by her hair if you have to,” he said. When Draupadi refused, Dushasan grasped her hair and began to drag her. “How can you do this to your sister-in-law?” pleaded Draupadi, “Are you not afraid of my husbands?” While thus dragging her to the court, Dushasan recounted the events that had taken place.

When Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and the others saw Dushasan dragging Draupadi they fumed and glared but did not have the courage to intervene. Bhim and Arjun rose to tackle Dushasan, but Duryodhana curtly reminded them that such behaviour did not befit slaves. Duryodhana then asked Draupadi to sit on his thigh. Draupadi reprimanded him for dishonouring her. Karna, Duryodhana's staunchest ally, had his own reasons to humiliate Draupadi. He had not forgotten how Draupadi had shamed him at her swayamwara. He said. “A slave has no honour. Even if Draupadi were stripped naked in the court it would not be inappropriate. After all a woman who sleeps with five men is nothing more than a whore.” The Kaurava clan by now were on a high. They clamoured for the disrobing of Draupadi. Duryodhana instructed Dushasan to remove Draupadi's clothes. "I want to see if she can still hold her head high when she stands naked in front of us," he said.

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