Draupadi - The Tritagonist Of The Mahabharat

GAME OF DICE

Still after his insult, Duryodhan wanted to stay in Indraprastha. He wanted the palace. He had a plan!
Together with his maternal uncle Shakuni, Duryodhan conspired to call on the Pandavas to Hastinapur and win their kingdoms in a game of gambling. The plan's architect, Shakuni had a dice that would never disobey his will. The idea was that Shakuni would play against Yudhishthir and win at the gambling table. Before the game Bhishma was told to frame the rules as he was the oldest, wisest, and strongest of all men in that court. He ordered all women to go away from the court, when the game was played (except some maid, who occasionally brought refreshments to the people at the court). He told that the loser is the one who loses all of the wealth and one can stake only the wealth to which he has right. Yudhishthir was very fond of gambling (game of dice). But he was no expert. Shakuni, maternal uncle of Kauravas, was a very experienced player. Yudhishthir went on losing. He offered his chariots, horses and elephants as stakes and lost them; and eventually he lost his kingdom, Indraprastha, as well. Finally he and his four brothers became the slaves of the Kaurava king. But for Duryodhan, the humiliation of the Pandavas was not complete.

"Duryodhan, I have lost everything. I surrender. I have nothing to stake!"
"What's the hurry Yudhishthir, you haven't list everything. You still have your beautiful wife with you. Stake her!"

"Duryodhan! Dare you speak a word about Panchali!"

"You das! How dare you speak like this to your king. Don't worry.. This is the only chance... Bet her. You can win all you lost."

Yudhisthir agreed.

But the Kauravas won.
Duryodhan ordered Draupadi to come into the court as she became his dasi.

Draupadi rejected. Actually, she was horrified after hearing that she was staked in the game and now is a slave for Duryodhan. Draupadi questions Yudhishthir's right on her as he had lost himself first and she was still the queen. She refuses to present herself in court.

Angered by this Duryodhan ordered Dushasan, "Dushasan, go bring that dasi to me right now. If she overacts or disagrees, bring her by dragging her hair to the royal court before the great assembly of people and then to disrobe her completely."

The members of the court were shocked. But they did not utter a single word.

The Pandavas, seeing this, bent their heads in shame. Yudhishthir now knew what an unjust action he was guilty of. But it was now too late and regret was of no use. When Draupadi heard this news she was dazed. But instead of meekly obeying her husband Yudhishthir , she sent back a query which none could answer. She questioned her husband Yudhishthir, if he had pledged her before or after he had lost himself in the gamble. She argued that if he had pledged himself first, he had no right over her as he was already a slave. She later challenged the game as illegal as she argued, that Duryodhan, a Kaurava, had not placed his brothers and wife as a matching stake.
After few minutes, Dushasan grabs her by the hair and brings her into the court, dragging her by the hair.
Karna calling her a public woman whose being clothed or naked is immaterial. Draupadi looked at all elders in the court - Dhritarashtra, Bheeshm, Drona, Kripa and Vidur - with her eyes shouting for help. But all elders were silent. The subjects were stunned. Her husbands sat with their heads bowed. Draupadi had a marvelous blend of intensity that suits kshatriyas and forgiveness that fits devotees. She was very intelligent and knowledgeable. She had a brilliant mind, was utterly "one-in-herself" and did not hesitate in reprimanding the Kuru elders for countenancing wickedness. When Dusshasan was dragging her by the hair to the court, she ridiculed him to show his prowess against her husbands. She also boldly reprimanded the elders present in the court and appealed to them to do justice. She cried out to her silent husbands. But nobody came for help. Finding no response, with quicksilver presence of mind she seizes upon a social ritual to wrest some moments of respite from pillaging hands.