Reincarnation Of Draupadi (Completed)

Ch 48: Disrobing Of Draupadi

When Dushasana tugged at her cheer (sari) in order to strip her, Draupadi clutched her sari about her as firmly as she could and once again appealed to all the elders present. "What sort of righteousness is practised in this court where each one of the great ones present here acts righteously from his own particular narrow angle while overlooking the whole picture of a woman being humiliated?" asked Draupadi.

But they sat unmoving. She then turned to her husbands but even they seemed to have abandoned her. With no response forthcoming from any side, she relaxed, raised her arms, joined her palms together and holding Krishna's picture in her mind, prayed, "Krishna, let thy will prevail."

As Dushasana started tugging on her cheer (the single garment that also covered her torso) in order to strip her, a miracle took place before them all and her nine-lengths-long cheer kept growing in length.

The more Dushasana pulled, the longer did the cheer grow, which soon lay in a huge heap at his feet. Dushasana, exhausted by his efforts to disrobe Draupadi, was thus frustrated and Draupadi's modesty was preserved.

Draupadi's eyes flashed fire. "I shall never forgive the Kauravas for doing what they have done to me. I shall not tie my hair until I wash it in Dusshasana's blood."

Bhima could not keep quiet any more. "And I will kill each and every Kaurava, drink Dusshasana's blood and break Duryodhana's thigh with which he insulted my wife." His voice boomed across the hall with such force that the dice trembled and the game board burst into flames.

The blind king shouted,"Stop, Draupadi. Don't utter that curse that sits on your tongue." He then hobbled towards her and said, "Shame on me, that I let things go so far. I am old and blind, and foolish. Forgive them for my sake. I offer you three boons. Take them and leave in peace."

Draupadi asked "Yudhisthira and the brothers be freed of slavery and given back all their weapons"

"Granted," said Dhritarashtra.

"And the third boon? Something for yourself?"

"Nothing," said Draupadi. "Greed is unbecoming of a warrior's wife."

"Come back and play a final game, Yudhishtira. One game. Just one and win all that you have lost. Especially your honour," cried the Kauravas.

"And if I lose?" asked Yudhishtira

Duryodhana, on the advice of Shakuni, proposed "A single throw and that the loser surrender his kingdom and go into 'vana-vasa' (forest-dwelling exile) for thirteen years. After thirteen years the kingdom would be restored."

Once again, Shakuni tricked Yudhisthira into defeat and thus forced him, his brothers and wife to go into exile to live in the forest like hermits, devoid of even their ambar/cheer and covered only in deerskins.

Having lost a second time, the brothers had no option at that point, so along with their common wife, Draupadi, they left for the Dwaita forest.

Duryodhana said to Karna "I know why you called her unchaste women because keshariya's won't touch unchaste women and I know one more thing If she begged you, you would have gone against everyone sabha including me. I even myself can't stop you, but for Draupadi and Pandavas they won't ask help from you 'Suta Putra'. "

Karna smiled "I know you understands me"