The Dishonoring of Draupadi in the Kaurava Court
Draupadi Vastrapharan
The Pandavas’ Loss in the Game of Dice
Following the invitations and manipulations of Shakuni, Yudhishthira gambled away all of his possessions and wealth, including the kingdom of Indraprastha, in the game of dice. Shakuni, an expert in deceit, ensured that each roll of the dice worked in his favor, stripping Yudhishthira of everything he owned. As the game continued, Yudhishthira, desperate to win back his losses, wagered his brothers one by one. However, each time, he faced defeat. In his final gamble, driven to despair, Yudhishthira wagered Draupadi, his beloved wife, in a last attempt to recover everything he had lost. When he lost once more, Draupadi was claimed as a slave by the Kauravas.
Draupadi’s Summons to the Court
Following Yudhishthira’s loss, Duryodhana ordered Draupadi to be brought to the assembly hall. The Kauravas’ servants relayed the message to Draupadi, who was in the women’s quarters. Horrified and bewildered, Draupadi questioned the legality of the game, asking the messenger, “Did my husband wager me before he lost himself, or after?” She challenged the notion that she could be wagered by someone who had already lost his own freedom.
Draupadi’s questions unsettled the servant, who returned to the court without her, reporting her defiance to Duryodhana. Enraged by her refusal, Duryodhana ordered his younger brother Dushasana to bring Draupadi to the hall forcibly, disregarding her questions and protests.
Draupadi’s Humiliation in the Kaurava Court
Dushasana entered the women’s quarters and forcibly dragged Draupadi into the assembly hall, ignoring her cries and protests. Clad in a single garment as she had been unprepared, Draupadi was humiliated as she was pulled into the court in front of all the elders, kings, and nobles. She appealed to the assembled elders, including Dhritarashtra, Bhishma, Dronacharya, and Vidura, pleading for justice and questioning the legality of the game and her treatment as a mere object in the wager.
With tears in her eyes, Draupadi asked the court, “How could my husband stake me when he had already lost himself? Was he in any position to gamble me away?” Her question placed the elders in a difficult position, as they were bound by codes of dharma but were hesitant to openly condemn Duryodhana and Dushasana.
While some elders like Vidura condemned the actions of the Kauravas, citing dharma and justice, others, including Dhritarashtra, remained silent, their loyalties torn between righteousness and familial bonds.
The Vastraharan and Draupadi’s Call to Krishna
Duryodhana, unmoved by Draupadi’s appeals and emboldened by his father’s silence, mocked her further. In his arrogance, he instructed Dushasana to disrobe Draupadi completely, intending to strip her of her dignity in front of everyone. Dushasana began pulling at Draupadi’s sari, attempting to strip her as a show of dominance and revenge.
In her moment of despair, Draupadi closed her eyes and prayed to Krishna, her dear friend and protector. She surrendered herself entirely, calling upon him with unwavering faith. Her prayer reached Krishna, who heard her cry for help and came to her aid in an unseen, divine way. As Dushasana continued to pull at her sari, Krishna performed a miracle: the garment began to extend endlessly, covering her continuously no matter how much Dushasana pulled.
Dushasana, exhausted from his efforts, was baffled as the sari continued to grow, forming an infinite garment that protected Draupadi’s honor. The more he pulled, the longer the sari became, until he was forced to stop, utterly defeated and humiliated. Draupadi stood unharmed, her dignity miraculously preserved, a testament to the power of her faith and Krishna’s protection.
The Outrage of Bhima and the Vow of Vengeance
Witnessing Draupadi’s humiliation, Bhima’s anger reached a breaking point. He felt enraged and helpless as he saw his wife being dishonored. Overcome with fury, he swore a terrifying oath: he vowed to kill Dushasana and drink his blood to avenge Draupadi’s humiliation. He also pledged to shatter Duryodhana’s thigh, where he had invited Draupadi to sit in a mocking gesture.
These vows became a driving force in Bhima’s later battles, as he fought with unwavering determination to fulfill his promises and restore Draupadi’s honor.
Dhritarashtra’s Intervention
Seeing the impact of the events on the court and fearing the consequences of the Pandavas’ wrath, Dhritarashtra finally intervened. Realizing that the situation could lead to immense bloodshed and the ruin of his family, Dhritarashtra attempted to make amends. He granted Draupadi a boon, allowing her to ask for anything she wished.
Draupadi first asked for the freedom of Yudhishthira. With her second boon, she requested the freedom of her other four husbands. Dhritarashtra, impressed by her selflessness and grace, offered her a third boon, but Draupadi declined, saying she did not wish to seek more than what was necessary.
With the Pandavas freed, Dhritarashtra tried to appease them by returning their wealth and possessions, hoping to avoid a conflict. However, the damage had already been done. The Pandavas left Hastinapura humiliated, and the seeds of enmity had taken root deeply within their hearts.
About the Creator
Keep reading
More stories from sai Charan and writers in History and other communities.
The Invitation to the Game of Dice: Yudhishthira’s Fateful Gamble
Duryodhana’s Desperation and Shakuni’s Plan Duryodhana, upon returning to Hastinapura from Indraprastha, was consumed by bitterness and jealousy. The beauty of the Maya Sabha and the respect that the Pandavas commanded had left him feeling inadequate and humiliated. The laughter of Draupadi and the splendor of the Pandavas’ kingdom lingered in his mind, fanning the flames of his resentment.
By sai Charanabout a year ago in History
John Keats
On a chilly October morning in 1795, in the bustling district of Moorgate in London, a child was born into a modest family above a stable. His name was John Keats. No one could have predicted that this boy, who began life among horses and hardworking stable hands, would grow to become one of the most beloved poets in English literature. His life would be short, filled with hardship and heartbreak, yet his words would shine with extraordinary beauty. Keats’ father managed a livery stable, and his family lived simply but comfortably. However, tragedy struck early. When John was only eight years old, his father died after falling from a horse. The loss deeply affected him. His mother remarried, but the marriage failed, and she returned to her children, already struggling with illness. When Keats was just fourteen, his mother died of tuberculosis. Soon after, his grandmother, who had cared for him, also passed away. Orphaned at a young age, Keats grew up surrounded by grief. Despite these sorrows, he was a bright and spirited boy. At school in Enfield, he showed talent in reading and writing. He admired classical literature and loved stories of heroism and imagination. But practical concerns shaped his early path. Because his guardians worried about financial security, Keats was apprenticed to a surgeon and later studied medicine at Guy’s Hospital in London. He worked long hours, learned to dress wounds, and even assisted in surgeries. By all accounts, he was skilled and capable. Yet something stirred restlessly within him. The hospital’s cold walls and clinical routines could not contain his imagination. Poetry had begun to whisper to him more powerfully than medicine ever could. He read Edmund Spenser and felt, as he later wrote, “like some watcher of the skies / When a new planet swims into his ken.” Literature opened a universe before him. Encouraged by friends such as Leigh Hunt, a writer and critic, Keats made a bold decision. He abandoned his medical career to pursue poetry fully. It was a risky choice. Poetry brought little money, and his inheritance was limited. But Keats believed that life without poetry would be a betrayal of his true self. His first volume of poems, published in 1817, received little attention. Critics were harsh and sometimes cruel. They mocked his background and dismissed his style. Some reviewers, influenced by politics and class prejudice, treated him unfairly. Though these criticisms hurt, they did not silence him. Instead, Keats continued to write with even greater determination. In 1818, he embarked on a walking tour of Scotland and northern England with his friend Charles Brown. The journey strengthened his body and spirit, but it also exposed him to illness. During this time, his beloved brother Tom was dying of tuberculosis. Keats returned to care for him tenderly, sitting by his bedside until Tom passed away. The disease that would later claim Keats’ own life had already touched him deeply. Yet from sorrow emerged astonishing creativity. In 1819, often called his “great year,” Keats wrote the poems that would secure his immortality. Among them were “Ode to a Nightingale,” “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” “Ode on Melancholy,” and “To Autumn.” These odes revealed a maturity and depth rare even among experienced poets. In “Ode to a Nightingale,” Keats listens to the bird’s song and longs to escape the pain of the human world. The nightingale’s music seems timeless, untouched by suffering. Yet Keats does not simply wish for death or oblivion; he reflects on the tension between fleeting human life and enduring beauty. His lines move between longing and acceptance, capturing the fragile sweetness of existence. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” explores a similar theme. Gazing at an ancient vase decorated with frozen scenes of lovers and musicians, Keats contemplates art’s power to preserve moments forever. While human life fades, the figures on the urn remain eternally young. He famously concludes, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” Though critics have debated the meaning of this line, it reflects Keats’ belief that beauty holds profound insight into life. Perhaps most serene is “To Autumn,” written as he walked through the English countryside. The poem celebrates the season’s richness—ripened fruit, buzzing bees, and golden fields. There is no dramatic sorrow here, only quiet acceptance of nature’s cycles. Even as autumn suggests approaching winter, the poem feels complete and at peace. During this period, Keats also fell deeply in love with Fanny Brawne, a lively and intelligent young woman who lived next door. Their relationship was passionate but complicated. Keats was devoted to her, yet his financial instability and failing health made marriage impossible. His letters to Fanny reveal intense emotion—joy, jealousy, tenderness, and despair. He once wrote, “I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for religion—I have shuddered at it—I shudder no more—I could be martyred for my religion—Love is my religion.” But illness was tightening its grip. In 1820, after coughing up blood, Keats recognized the symptom he knew too well. Tuberculosis had claimed his mother and brother; now it threatened him. Doctors advised him to move to a warmer climate. In September 1820, he sailed to Italy with his friend Joseph Severn. The journey was difficult. Keats was weak and often in pain. In Rome, he stayed in a small house near the Spanish Steps. The sunlight and mild weather could not heal him. His condition worsened through the winter. Despite suffering, he remained thoughtful and reflective. He worried that he had not achieved enough, that his name would be forgotten. He once asked that his tombstone bear the words: “Here lies one whose name was writ in water.” On February 23, 1821, at the age of twenty-five, John Keats died in Rome. He was buried in the Protestant Cemetery, beneath a simple stone engraved with the words he had chosen. At the time of his death, his fame was modest. Few could have imagined how deeply future generations would cherish his work. In the decades that followed, Keats’ reputation grew steadily. Victorian poets admired his lush imagery and emotional honesty. Modern readers continue to find comfort and wonder in his lines. Though he lived briefly, his poetry feels timeless. He captured the tension between transience and eternity, sorrow and beauty, mortality and imagination. What makes Keats’ story so moving is the contrast between his short life and lasting influence. He endured poverty, harsh criticism, illness, and the loss of loved ones. Yet he refused to become bitter. Instead, he turned suffering into art. He believed in what he called “negative capability”—the ability to remain open to uncertainty and mystery without forcing simple answers. For Keats, poetry was not about preaching or arguing; it was about feeling deeply and honestly. Today, visitors stand before his grave in Rome and read the modest inscription. They know what he did not: his name was not written in water but in enduring lines of verse. His odes continue to be studied, memorized, and loved. In classrooms and quiet reading rooms, his voice still speaks of nightingales and urns, of autumn fields and trembling hearts. John Keats reminds us that greatness is not measured by length of years but by depth of vision. Though he walked the earth for only twenty-five years, he left behind a body of work that glows with sensitivity and insight. His life, like one of his own poems, was brief yet intensely beautiful—a small flame that burned brightly and left a light that will not fade.
By The best writer about 4 hours ago in History
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.