Draupadee in the Game Court-1

The entire court was silent. Vidur's head was bent down, Bheeshm was sad with the whole episode. Only Dhritraashtra was happy. He was continuously asking - "Who has won now? And what was won now?" Duryodhan said to Vidur - "Now Draupadee is our slave, so you bring her here. She should know now her duties." Vidur said - "You don't go any further than this. Draupadee is not your slave, she must not be insulted. Yudhishthir had no right to put her on stake when he had already lost himself." But his words were unheard. "What can I do?" Vidur whispered to himself.

Then Duryodhan looked at the court attendant and asked him to bring Draupadee in that court. He said - "Tell her, that she belongs to us now and her master has ordered her to be present in the court." The attendant came to Draupadee's palace and delivered the message - "You are the slave of Duryodhan as your husband Yudhishthir has lost you to Kaurav in gambling." Draupadee got stunned, but then asked - "What are you saying? Did my husband not have anything else to put on stake? How can he lose me like this?" The attendant said - "What I am saying is true. First king lost his all belongings, then his brothers, then himself and then you." Draupadee sent him back to the court to ask that she was lost before the king lost himself, or after he lost himself?" The attendant came back and repeated Draupadee's question to Yudhishthir.

Yudhishthir got silent at this question, but Duryodhan got angry, he said - "Let that woman come here and ask her question herself before the court." The attendant went back and told her about the silence of Yudhishthir and the orders of Duryodhan. Draupadee again sent him back to the court and said - "Ask my husband as what should I do, because I will obey only him and no one else." The attendant again came back to the court and gave this message to Yudhishthir. Yudhishthir said - "Tell her that I want her to come here and ask the elders if the action of her husband was wrong." The frightened attendant wouldn't go back to Draupadee, so Duryodhan sent Dushaasan to bring her there, and said - "If she doesn't come willingly then she should be brought by dragging by her hair."

Dushaasan came to Draupadee and said - "You have been won by Duryodhan. Paandav are no more your husbands. So our prince Duryodhan has called you in the court." She was not ready to come to the court so Dushaasan caught her by her hair and brought her to the court by dragging her all through the way.

Draupadee's Question 

Draupadee got very composed. She had no tears in her eyes but the anger. She said - "In this great assembly, I see great people - the elders of the Kuru House, because they all know Dharm very well. There is a man here, mad with power, he asks his cruel brother to drag a woman in the court where this atrocity is allowed. In the presence of all of you, I wanted to know if he lost me first or after he had lost himself, but I was not given any reply. I ask you once again, "Do you consider me the slave of this man, or am I free?" Yudhishthir just thought if the death had come to him and he would have died then and there. He bent his head.

Draupadee then looked at Bheeshm and asked - "All say none is wiser than you, please tell me, am I a slave?" Bheeshm also bent his head and said - "The minute issues of Dharm are very hard to understand. A man cannot gamble something once he has lost himself and declared that he has been won. At the same time, a man has the right over his wife whether he is free or not. He can call her as his property even after he has lost himself, therefore I cannot reply your question. Yudhishthir knew that it was Shakuni's game still he played with him willingly. And although he was defeated still he continued to play and he used you as a stake."

Draupadee said - "You want to say that my husband played this game willingly? In fact Duryodhan challenged him to play. Yudhishthir had already showed his disinterest in the game in Indraprasth itself. Knowingly fully well that Yudhishthir is not good at this game and Shakuni is very clever, Shakuni made him play with him. Is it not injustice? Was it not an unfair game? And if it was, what were you doing here? Couldn't you have stopped this game? That is no court where there are no elders; they are no elders who do not tell what is righteous; and where there is no righteousness there is no Truth."

Dushaasan laughed loudly and said to Draupadee - "You are a slave of Duryodhan so why do you worry about Dharm. A slave's Dharm is only to serve his or her master, so you should also serve your master Duryodhan." Bheem got furious hearing this, he said to Yudhishthir - "Did you see the result of your madness? How Draupadee is suffering. You gambled your all wealth I did not say a word; you gambled we four brothers I did not say anything; but I can't tolerate Draupadee's condition. Sahadev, bring me fire, I will burn Yudhishthir's hands."

Arjun was very sorry to see Bheem's behavior. He tried to explain to Bheem - "No, What are you saying? What is this kind of behavior? He is already broken man, do not add to his unhappiness. If you will do that our enemies' wish will be fulfilled." Bheem got silent hearing this, but the anger was boiling in his heart.