Draupadee in the Game Court-2

Seeing Paandav's plight, Duryodhan's one brother Vikarn was touched, he said to Draupadee - "You are right, there is no righteousness in the court. There is nobody in the court who can defy Duryodhan. I will say what I will feel. You are not lost. Duryodhan has no right to call you as his maid, because Yudhishthir had no right to put you on stake. The wise say that there are four dangers which beset the path of kings - hunting, addiction to drink, love of gambling and too much love for the  company of women. So when Yudhishthir was gambling he was not responsible for his actions. He in fact had no right to gamble on you, because you are not his alone. You belong to five. So you are free."

All were convinced with Vikarn's ideas and precise thinking that Draupadee was not a slave. But Karn was furious with Vikarn, he said - "All elders are sitting here, they all agree that Draupadee is a slave. Only you think that they are wrong. Yudhishthir himself asked her to appear in the court. If he had thought it wrong, he would have not asked her to come here. And there is no need to consider about Dharm about these Paandav, because have you seen one woman shared by five men? They have no right to wear the clothes which they are wearing and so is Draupadee. Dushaasan, Take off the clothes of these five men and of Draupadee and give them to the prince." Hearing these words Paandav took off their clothes and kept them in a heap. Then Dushaasan started taking off Draupadee's upper cloth forcibly. Draupadee looked at her husbands frantically knowing fully well that they could not do anything. So she forgot everything, did not resist and started remembering Vaasudev with folding hands and closed eyes.

Dushaasan began to pull off her clothes which came off easily. The horrified audience was looking on. Dushaasan was pulling off the dress and the cloth was getting piled up at one place but no end of the cloth was in sight. As the cloth was pulled, it seemed as if it was getting longer and longer, Dushaasan was putting more efforts, but could not find the end of her cloth. His anger was rising, he got tired after all. At last he sat down exhausted. Then Bheem spoke - "Listen all, If I do not kill Dushaasan and drink the blood from his heart, let me not see my forefathers." Dushaasan laughed at him. Karn said - "Why are you silent Dushaasan? Take her to servants' quarters." Draupadee was looking at everybody but no one came to her help. Everyone was afraid of Duryodhan.

Duryodhan said to Draupadee - "Your all the five husbands have not yet made any attempt to answer your question, nor they have tried to release you free from slavery. Let Yudhishthir speak whether you belong to me or to him, then we will decide your future." Poor Yudhishthir did not speak a word. Duryodhan again said to Draupadee - "Your husbands are still silent. So I will answer your question, you are free to choose any one of us. You are not born to be a slave, so choose one of us and leave these people who are no longer king of anywhere." Bheem again got furious and said - "I would have killed you all long ago, if I had not respected my brother." [Here read about what has been shown in MBH Serial after this, though it is not in MBH]

Paandav's Vows

Duryodhan again confirmed from Paandav that Draupadee was his slave. When he was sure that Draupadee was his slave, he showed his left thigh to her to sit up on it. Bheem again could not tolerate this, so he sprang up on Duryodhan like a cobra, he said - "If I had not broken your that thigh on which you wanted to make Draupadee sit, I will live in Hell for ever." Karn said - "Duryodhan, You can take her for yourself." Bheem spoke again - "I am going to kill Duryodhan and my brother is going to kill Karn. This Shakuni will be killed by my younger brother Sahadev." Arjun supported Bheem's words, he said - "The Earth will surely drink the blood of these four - Duryodhan, Dushaasan, Karn and Shakuni. I solemnly declare that I will obey my brother Bheem. I will kill this Karn and his all followers." Sahadev also took the similar vow to kill Shakuni. Nakul said - "My brothers have taken vow to kill Duryodhan, Dushaasan, Karn, Shakuni; I take the vow to kill Shakuni's son Ulook."

Flowers rained as Paandav took the oaths. Arjun once more said - "I would have killed them without war but because of our brother, I am not doing so." Yudhishthir pacified him somehow,

Too late in the day, Dhritraashtra realized the situation. Hearing the oaths of Paandav, he said - "Oh my sons, You have insulted the pure soul Draupadee in your foolishness, your end is certain." Then he said to Draupadee - "I will grant you any Var you want. Please forgive my sons who did not know what they were doing." Draupadee didn't want to lose the chance, so she said - "Please Release my husband Yudhishthir from this slavery bondage. Announce that he is not the slave of this sinner." Dhritraashtra did so. Then he asked her to ask for another Var. This time Draupadee got released Bheem, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev from their bondage. Dhritraashtra did so and asked her again to ask for another Var. Draupadee said - "I do not want to overstep the rules of Dharm. I am not avaricious. I have got two boons, my five husbands are free from bondage, I am satisfied."

Karn did not leave the chance to tease Paandav once again, he said - "Paandav are very fortunate that they are saved by a woman." Kaurav and Karn left the hall. It was evident that they did not like this release of Paandav from bondage. Yudhishthir said to his Great Uncle - "We have always obeyed you. Please tell us what we are to do now." Dhritraashtra said - "I am very pleased with your humility, You must not remember these things which have happened today. I want you to take back all whatever you have lost today. You may go back to Indraprasth and start ruling as you were ruling before." Yudhishthir greeted all elders and started towards Indraprasth along with Kuntee and Draupadee.

Arjun came to see Bheeshm before leaving Hastinaapur, because he could not go without seeing Bheeshm. Bheeshm seemed a little angry, he asked - "Why your brothers have not come to see me?" Arjun said - "They asked me also not to come to see you. Bhaiyaa said "we should not embarrass our elders by going there". But I could not go without seeing you so I came to see you. Pitaamah, I have a fire of revenge in my heart, what should I do of that?" Bheeshm said - "Now revenge for what? Dhritraashtra has already returned you everything. Taking revenge is not the solution of any problem." 

Arjun said - "He has not returned everything. He has not returned Draupadee's respect; he did not punish Dushaasan's those hands which first reached to her hair and then reached to her clothes; he did not punish Duryodhan's that thigh which after beating he said "Make Draupadee sit here"; he did not punish Karn's that tongue which called her prostitute in the whole court. Pitaamah, I can forgive all but cannot forgive Duryodhan, Dushaasan, Karn and Shakuni. I need their dead bodies, Pitaamah, I need their dead bodies." Bheeshm said - "You will have to accept many other dead bodies before you get theirs, such as mine, Drone's, Kripaa's." Arjun got stunned hearing this because he was not ready to hear this.

After the insult, Draupadee had left her hair loose. When Paandav got ready to leave Hastinaapur, Yudhishthir asked that why did she leave her hair loose? She said - "So that whenever you see them you remember of my insult. Now I will tie them only when I will get the handful blood of Dushaasan's heart to wash them."