Draupadi Maana SamrakshaNam & "SaraNAgathy "

[Guest guest]

Dear Members :

 

There have been some discussions on Draupadhi

doing SaraNAgathy or not . Sriman KrishNaswamy has

assembled the original text (Translated ) from MahA BhAratham.

You can judge for yourself.

 

V.Sadagopan

-

"m_k_krishna_swamy" <krishnaswamy

 

> Dear Members,

> I am reproducing below the translation of the relevant portion of MB

> detailing the harrowing experience of the Pandava Princess and the

> the complete absence of action to assist her by even the very dharmic

> and otherwise brave personages present. Even Bhishma with the title

> of Pitamaha expressed his inability to interfere in the public

> humiliation of a royal princess belonging to the family with the

> statement that a tricky legal point was involved because: "wives are

> always under the orders and at the disposal of their lords."

>

> Bhishma and Yudhishtira preferred to follow the saamanya Dharma of

> Royalty in preference to the absolute Dharma of Compassion. In a

> similar manner, when Sri Rama chose to observe Royal Dharma and

> allowed Sita to prove her chastity through Agnipariksha, even a great

> Bhakta like Narayana Bhattathiri expressed his discomfort (in sloka

> 35 Verse 10 of his Narayaneeyam) by euphimistically suggesting that

> Rama's intention was to demonstrate how addiction to Dharma (the

> letter of the Law) will push one to such Adharma as abandonment of

> innocent ones. .

> See

> http://home.comcast.net/~krishnaswamy/Rama/Rama_Page.htm#Narayaneeyam

>

> Strangely, it was the lone voice of Vikarna the son of Dhritarashtra

> to declare boldly:

>

> "How is it that Bhishma and Dhritarashtra, both of whom are the

> oldest of the Kurus, as also the high-souled Vidura, do not say

> anything! The son of Bharadwaja who is the preceptor of us, as also

> Kripa, is here. Why do not these best of regenerate ones answer the

> question? Let also those other kings assembled here from all

> directions answer according to their judgment this question, leaving

> aside all motives of gain and anger. Ye kings, answer ye the question

> that hath been asked by this blessed daughter of king Drupada, and

> declare after reflection on which side each of ye is.' Thus did

> Vikarna repeatedly appeal to those that were in that assembly. But

> those kings answered him not one word, good or ill. And Vikarna

> having repeatedly appealed to all the kings began to rub his hands

> and sigh like a snake. And at last

>

> p. 131

>

> the prince said--'Ye kings of the earth, ye Kauravas, whether ye

> answer this question or not, I will say what I regard as just and

> proper. Ye foremost of men, it hath been said that hunting, drinking,

> gambling, and too much enjoyment of women, are the four vices of

> kings. The man, that is addicted to these, liveth forsaking virtue.

> And people do not regard the acts done by a person who is thus

> improperly engaged, as of any authority. This son of Pandu, while

> deeply engaged in one of these vicious acts, urged thereto by

> deceitful gamblers, made Draupadi a stake. The innocent Draupadi is,

> besides, the common wife of all the sons of Pandu. And the king,

> having first lost himself offered her as a stake. And Suvala (Sakuni)

> himself desirous of a stake, indeed prevailed upon the king to stake

> this Krishna. Reflecting upon all these circumstances, I regard

> Draupadi as not won."

>

> Dasan

> Krishnaswamy

>

> Vaisampayana: "Dussasana dragging Krishna of long long locks unto

> the presence of the assembly--as if she were helpless though having

> powerful protectors--and pulling at her, made her tremble like the

> banana plant in a storm. And dragged by him, with body bent, she

> faintly cried--'Wretch! it ill behoveth thee to take me before the

> assembly. My season hath come, and I am now clad in one piece of

> attire. But Dussasana dragging Draupadi forcibly by her black locks

> while she was praying piteously unto Krishna and Vishnu who were

> Narayana and Nara (on earth), said unto her--'Whether thy season hath

> come or not, whether thou art attired in one piece of cloth or

> entirely naked, when thou hast been won at dice and made our slave,

> thou art to live amongst our serving-women as thou pleasest."

>

> Vaisampayana continued,--"With hair dishevelled and half her attire

> loosened, all the while dragged by Dussasana, the modest Krishna

> consumed with anger, faintly said--"In this assembly are persons

> conversant with all the branches of learning devoted to the

> performance of sacrifices and other rites, and all equal unto Indra,

> persons some of whom are really my superiors and others who deserve

> to be respected as such. I can not stay before them in this state. O

> wretch! O thou of cruel deeds, drag me not so. Uncover me not so. The

> princes (my lords) will not pardon thee, even if thou hast the gods

> themselves with Indra as thy allies. The illustrious son of Dharma is

> now bound by the obligations of morality. Morality, however, is

> subtle. Those only that are possessed of great clearness of vision

> can ascertain it. In speech even I am unwilling to admit an atom of

> fault in my lord forgetting his virtues. Thou draggest me who am in

> my season before these Kuru heroes. This is truly an unworthy act.

> But no one here rebuketh thee. Assuredly, all these are of the same

> mind with thee. O fie! Truly hath the virtue of the Bharata gone!

> Truly also hath the usage of those acquainted with the Kshatriya

> practice disappeared! Else these Kurus in this assembly would never

> have looked silently on this act that transgresseth the limits of

> their practices. Oh! both Drona and Bhishma have lost their energy,

> and so also hath the high-souled Kshatta, and so also this king.

> Else, why do these foremost of the Kuru elders look silently on this

> great crime?"

>

> Vaisampayana continued,--"Thus did Krishna of slender waist cry in

>

> p. 129

>

> distress in that assembly. And casting a glance upon her enraged

> lords--the Pandavas--who were filled with terrible wrath, she

> inflamed them further with that glance of hers. And they were not so

> distressed at having been robbed of their kingdom, of their wealth,

> of their costliest gems, as with that glance of Krishna moved by

> modesty and anger. And Dussasana, beholding Krishna looking at her

> helpless lords, dragging her still more forcibly, and addressed

> her, 'Slave, Slave' and laughed aloud. And at those words Karna

> became very glad and approved of them by laughing aloud. And Sakuni,

> the son of Suvala, the Gandhara king, similarly applauded Dussasana.

> And amongst all those that were in the assembly except these three

> and Duryodhana, every one was filled with sorrow at beholding Krishna

> thus dragged in sight of that assembly. And beholding it all, Bhishma

> said, 'O blessed one, morality is subtle. I therefore am unable to

> duly decide this point that thou hast put, beholding that on the one

> hand one that hath no wealth cannot stake the wealth belonging to

> others, while on the other hand wives are always under the orders and

> at the disposal of their lords. Yudhishthira can abandon the whole

> world full of wealth, but he will never sacrifice morality. The son

> of Pandu hath said--'I am won.' Therefore, I am unable to decide this

> matter. Sakuni hath not his equal among men at dice-play. The son of

> Kunti still voluntarily staked with him. The illustrious Yudhishthira

> doth not himself regard that Sakuni hath played with him deceitfully.

> Therefore, I can not decide this point."

>

>

Namo VenkateshAya namah:

>

>

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