Draupadi VIII - Disrobing

Dushasan grabbed the upper edge of the garment that was wrapped around her waist and gave it a tug. The garment loosened and he began pulling it away. Draupadi held on to the garment with both hands and looked up to the heavens and called Krishna, her friend and mentor. A jerk from Dushasan loosened her grip on her garment. She tried to latch on with one hand, raising the other above her head. She could not match Dushasan’s brute force and soon gave up all defence. She folded both hands above her head and looking upwards called Krishna fervently. “When I tore my garment to bandage the cut on your finger, you had promised to repay the debt a million fold. The time has come for you to redeem your pledge,” she prayed. As if by miracle a garment descended from the skies and began to wrap itself round Draupadi. As Dushasan pulled the clothing away, this divine garment took its place and kept Draupadi’s modesty intact. Second passed into minutes and minutes into hours. There was a huge pile of cloth and a tired Dushasan was struggling to remove more of Draupadi’s garment. Ultimately he fainted in a pool of his own sweat. The pile of cloth vanished from where it had come.

Draupadi composed herself, faced the elders ensconced on their thrones and delivered what is perhaps the most well known monologue in Indian mythology.

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