BEHIND THE POEM : TO DRAUPADI

If you haven't read the poem yet, click HERE

THOUGHTS OF THE POET

Not a slut…..

Not a whore…..

Draupadi is a character of Hindu holy book “Mahabharata”, who, as per the story, was won by Arjun (a prince) in her swayamwar (a process of marriage in Hinduism in ancient times). Married to five brothers on their mother’s ignorant order (she was busy meditating when she told them to distribute the gift among themselves), Draupadi has since been subject of mockery solely because she was married to five men, a case of polyandry, which was cited by the eldest brother, Yudhishthir (who had fallen in love with her at the first sight), to be cent percent ethical. The act isn’t ethical in modern times, neither polyandry nor polygamy. Yet the thousands of kings, who followed polygamy in the past, are not called names for having a thousand wives, while Draupadi is. Besides, polyandry itself was neither proposed nor consented to by Draupadi herself. Double standards in its pure form is quite conspicuous here.

We all feel his pain…

Karn is considered to be one of the most ill-fated characters in Mahabharata. He spent all his life making sacrifices, following dharma and getting torn in dilemma of the correct and the relations. His pain, however, is felt and understood by everyone at their own level. It will be considered a shame to be comparing the pain of two people and trying to take away someone’s choice or right to lament over somebody’s loss. I wish to explain that, that’s not what the third stanza does. The third stanza ends with

Your go in vain

 A clear indication of how illogical it is that we not only ignore or care less about the injustice to another character in the saga, but also pull her apart.

Rules of a game became bigger than your honour

A game of chaupad (Indian Poker) was played between the Pandavas (the five brothers Draupadi was married to) and the Kauravas (the hundred cousin brothers of the Pandavas). Yudhishthir, the eldest, bet Draupadi and lost her in the treacherous game. Dussashana, one of the Kauravas, seeking this chance, dragged the dusky beauty into a court full of honourable kings, respected and knowledged priests and teachers and began disrobing her to everyone’s gaze. Not a single word was said during the process by anyone. Draupadi screamed for helped, looked with a sight of aghast and disgust at every honourable man sitting in the court, but no one spoke up. Thus showing that Draupadi was no more important than a piece of wood, which could be used, thrashed, honed in the way that the owner wants to. She had no life, no choice to make.

A symbol of rape victim

Slut shamed by the society

 Draupadi was not raped (rape is an act of forced sexual intercourse). In fact as it happens, Lord Krishna saved her from getting denuded. He increased the length of her garment to infinite and thus the molester got tired of his attempts to denude her.  But she symbolizes the rape victims. Rape victims have to hide their face, hide their names, walk like a repulsive untouchable in the society, seen with a sight of disgust by the society, will never get married to anyone. Rape victims, who are already under the psychological torment, are further given the tastes of hell by the society for a crime that was not committed by them. The punishment received by the rapists is far to low as compared to the one faced by the victim themselves. Something similar happened to Draupadi. The case of cheer haran (disrobing) became a famous subject, which is cited by the rapists before raping women in the current times, used recklessly and thoughtlessly by people as a simple joke.

Draupadi is said to have kept the condition that she won’t tie her hair as long as they aren’t washed by Dussashana’s blood. She, thus, became the reason of Mahabharat (world war) that ruined and destroyed the whole dynasty.

Remember, the world will get destroyed every time someone faces injustice and is pushed to despair.

INSPIRATION

I remember four years ago, when I was in tenth grade, undergoing transition from the uncool-est and nerdy-est boy in the class to a normal boy who loves making friends, I did something vitally wrong. One of my best friends, whose ex-girlfriend had a history of dating lots of boys, was discussing about his ex with some other friends when I walked to the group and carelessly said “Who is this Draupadi that you’re talking about?” The whole group burst into laughter, inclusive of me. That day, I took another step towards being normal, but I took a leap backwards in terms of moral correction. Unaware of how incorrect I was at the age of 15, a 19-year-old self now regrets the statement and also realizes how brutally and mindlessly we criticize a character which deserves respect. How brutally the world mocks at someone who is in the agony. This is the perception that is ingrained in every one’s brain. This is perception that I attempt to change.

Over the years, as I grew up and read interviews and articles about mature people and discovered feminism and He-for-She, my perception changed and an incident in recent times when Draupadi was smirked at (like she very usually is), got me into writing this poem and making an honest attempt. 

EARLIER VERSION AND EDITING

Apart from the grammatical correction, an earlier version of this poem has been edited for the following lines-

·         As you were thrown in dwindling fate

            ↓

As you were publicly disrobed

            ↓

As you were disrobed to their gaze

·         Need to nudge the chauvinists

That you are overtly mighty

             ↓

A fodder of the chauvinists

A pacifier of their insecurity

·         The sexism must perish

              ↓

The sexism, however, is thriving

Thank you for being a part of my journey to the completion of “To Draupadi”and thank you for giving all that love and respect that you gave to the poem.

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