A few thoughts on Smt. Subha Narayan's "Question on Draupadi" - Part 2

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Dear members,

 

For a moment let's follow the story of the

Mahabharatha.

 

**************

 

It was the last day of the Kurukshetra War. It was

dusk. Duryodhana lay mortally wounded in

Samantapanchaka. His thigh had been shattered by

Bhima's blows and life was rapidly ebbing away for the

Kaurava monarch. It was only a matter of time before

Duryodhana would be no more.

 

It was the moment Aswattama, the illustrious son of

DrOnAchArya, appeared on the scene. When he saw

Duryodhana's state, Aswatthama's grief and fury knew

no bounds. He wept for his friend, patron and mentor.

Blinded by a mad rage, he then swore vengeance on the

whole Pandava clan for what they had done unto

DuryOdhana.

 

That night, under cover of darkness, AswathAma crept

into the Pandava camp looking for the 5 Pandava

princes. But instead he saw only the five stripling

young sons of Draupadi and a few other nobles like

Dhristadhyumna and Draupadi's other brothers too. In a

moment, Aswatthama simply slaughtered them all in

sleep.

 

When Aswatthama left the Pandava camp that night he

left behind a massacre. Five of Draupadi's sons were

dead. Draupadi's brothers were killed. And the whole

camp was left burning in a terrible blaze.

 

At dawn when the Pandavas came upon their camp and saw

the carnage, they were shocked dumb into silent grief.

Draupadi let out a wail at the horrific sight of her

five sons and began lamenting. Her heart bled with a

mother's anguish... It was against the 'dharma' of

warfare in those days to kill an enemy while he was

asleep and Aswatthama's heinous deed was beyond

pardon.

 

Arjuna, already weary and worn after the War of

Kurukshetra, became even more grief-stricken. But

watching Draupadi collapse into a heap of grief, he

went up to her to offer consolation. He said, "You

won't weep for long, my Draupadi. I will avenge the

death of these children. I will bring the head of the

villain who did this and place it at your feet. There

is no escape for Aswathhama. Have no doubt about it,

my dear Draupadi!"

 

**************

 

Arjuna and Krishna at once set out in their chariot in

pursuit of Aswatthama. It was certain yet another

bloody armageddon was soon to follow.

 

When Aswatthama saw Arjuna approaching, his own fury

soared. He took out the ultimate weapon, the dreaded

"brahmAstra", invoked its most cataclysmic powers, and

launched it with the vicious intent of destroying

every Pandava that walked on earth. The deadly 'astra'

appeared in the skies spewing fire and thunder,

leaving behaind a trail of utter, sweeping destruction

wherever it went... The whole world trembled on the

brink of an apocalypse...

 

An alarmed Arjuna turned to Krishna and asked what

should be done. Krishna replied in a cold, steely

voice, "Arjuna, the son of your guru Drona, has

crossed all limits of the dharma of war. He has

invoked the terrible "brahmAstra" and hurled it

without a thought for the consequences. The world at

large is now on the brink of annihilation. The

dastardly Aswatthama has become mad with rage. Make up

your mind now. Unleash your own ultimate weapon, the

"brahmAstra" and let it simply return havoc for havoc.

There is no other choice!"

 

Arjuna hesitated for no more than a moment. He did as

Krishna bade him. And in the next moment the fate of

the whole wide world hung in a frail, treacherous

balance...

 

***************

 

When the wise men of Kurukshetra, the "rshis",

witnessed the scene, they were left aghast. Panic

seized them. However, gathering up their wits they

rushed to Arjuna and Aswatthama and remonstrated, "O

Arjuna, O Aswatthama! What have you both done! Blinded

by your own rage, you have both acted irresponsibly!

It's the end of the world now!".

 

The "rshis" then beseeched the two warriors, "Withdraw

the "astra" please, immediately, while there is still

time! Do it now! If the two "astra-s" collide it will

spell the doom of everything on earth! Tarry not!

Withdraw your "brahmAstrA-s" and save the world from a

"mahA-praLaya"!

 

When Arjuna heard the 'rshis' words he knew he had

acted in haste and there would be no such thing as

leisure left in the world in which he could repent.

Hence without losing a moment, using his

"mantra-shakti" he instantly aborted the 'astra' and

rendered it harmless in mid-air.

 

Ashwatthama, however, could not retract the missile he

had already launched since the requisite "mantra" had

not been properly mastered by him. However, to salvage

the situation, he used a mantra that changed the

target and trajectory of the 'astra', re-directing it

not at living Pandavas, but at all un-born Pandavas.

Just at the nick of time, Aswatthama's missile veered

off course and vanished aimlessly into deep, endless

space... A global disaster stood averted at the very

last moment!

 

**************

 

Arjuna forthwith subdued Aswatthama. He turned to

Krishna and asked what may be done to the villain.

Krishna said blandly, "Show no mercy, kill him without

a qualm. Arjuna, do not hesitate. Have you forgotten

your vow taken in Draupadi's presence? That you would

lay at her feet the head of the man who killed her

sons? You have sworn to do it, so kill this man at

once!".

 

Despite Krishna's clear instructions, Arjuna

hesitated. "Aswatthama is the son of my guru, Sri

Dronacharya", thought Arjuna, "and my guru loved me as

much as this son of his. How can I slay my guru's

son?"

 

Overcome by emotion and qualm, Arjuna shrank from

taking Aswatthama's life. Instead he dragged him into

Draupadi's presence and in the presence of a large

assembly said to her: "Look my queen, look at this

sinner that stands humbled before you! Tell me what I

should do with him and I will carry out your wishes

immediately!".

 

The assembled people then watched with bated breath.

They looked at Draupadi and knew that for the mother

of 5 dead, beloved children, all of whom had

tragically been slaughtered even as they slept in bed,

the moment of vengeance had arrived.

 

Draupadi's "prArabdha" seemed to have pursued her

relentlessly in life and caught up again with her. Her

destiny appeared to lie only in violence, bloodshed

and Vengeance. It looked as though the baleful spirit

of Vengeance would never cease following her wherever

Draupadi went and whatever the circumstance of life.

 

For anyone watching the scene on that day at

Kurukshetra, there could have been no doubt what Queen

Draupadi would do. She had vowed terrible vengeance

once before -- she had said she'd dye her hair in

Kaurava blood for the shame they brought upon her in

the Court of Hastinapur -- and no doubt she'd now not

hesitate a moment to ask for Vengeance once more.

Draupadi would surely ask Arjuna to proceed with his

own vow and slough off the head of Aswatthama, the

killer of her 5 young sons...

 

The crowd of onlookers waited and watched... for

Draupadi's sentence to be pronounced and Arjuna's axe

to fall upon Aswatthama's neck.

 

*************

 

Let us also wait and watch what happens next... in the

next posting, that is!

 

Regards,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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