Draupadi- the Tale of an Empress

by Saiswaroopa Iyer

  ‘Unless the mention of the five Gandharvas scared him too much…’ Draupadi chuckled, ‘he should be here by the second quarter.’

  It was an excruciating wait. The risks taken were too high to fail. Draupadi sensed Bhima’s restlessness increase. She wondered about the repercussions of Keechaka’s death. It would possibly encourage Trigartas, the sworn enemies of Matsya, to attack. It might also ring alarm bells in Hastinapura, for killing Keechaka could not be the handiwork of a common man. The Gandharva cover would perhaps delay the speculation but it would not stop the Kauravas from making their own investigations. With just four fortnights left, they had decided that it would work to their advantage.

  A whiff of fragrance interrupted her thoughts. Keechaka! The commander had indeed taken care to groom himself with generous amounts of sandalwood paste. Draupadi clutched Bhima’s arm when they heard the footsteps. The irregular gaps between the footsteps and the words of endearment that accompanied indicated how drunk Keechaka was. Exchanging a glance with Bhima, Draupadi slipped behind the pillars, taking her position in one of the darker corridors. She saw Keechaka mistake Bhima for her. The commander must have drank lots of wine! Bhima’s anger got better of him and he launched himself on Keechaka who surprisingly turned out to be a tough opponent even in his drunk state. The tussle got more and more violent with time. Draupadi lost count of how many times she rushed to the outer corridors to check if the noise alerted the two night guards. Thankfully, the Nartanashala was made to drown sounds and it worked well for them. Yudhishtira had chosen the right venue!

  It was almost towards the end of the third quarter of the night that Draupadi sensed Bhima get a definitive upper hand over Keechaka. She rushed to the hall to hear Keechaka mutter his dying words, ‘It…you…you can’t be…. You are Bhima, the Pandava!’ After two unsuccessful attempts to say more, Keechaka fell quiet forever.

  Draupadi threw her hands around Bhima. They had rid Matsya of this lusty monster. They owed the city that had sheltered them this much. Then she helped Bhima leave and screamed as much as she could to draw the attention of the night guards.

  The two guards, who were used to uneventful nights, had dozed off and took some time to respond. When they came in, they were followed by multiple men. Draupadi recognized them as Keechaka’s brothers!

  ‘He forced himself on me, despite my warnings!’ she exclaimed. ‘The Gandharvas spare none!’

  Keechaka’s brothers were overcome more with anger than with grief. One of them dragged her towards the corpse of Keechaka. ‘Now they shall regret killing our brother!’

  Another came menacingly close. ‘Let us burn this witch along with him. Let us see if those Gandharva cowards have the guts to face all of us together!’

  The fatigue of the night had caught up with Draupadi, and it was futile resisting all of them by herself. Besides, she could not afford to blow their cover. Offering little resistance when they bound her to the cart where they placed Keechaka’s corpse, Draupadi thought fast.

  ‘Valiant Gandharvas!’ she cried as soon as she caught sight of the royal stable they passed by. ‘The brothers of this monster Keechaka, besides having no remorse for the sins of their brother, seek to burn me with him. Jaya, Jayesha, Vijaya, Jayatsena, Jayadbala! Show these lowly mortals what the result of forcing themselves on a woman is!’

  She paused, seeing movement at the entrance of the royal stables. Nakula! No, she could not let him expose himself to the city!

  ‘Turn the burial ground into a battlefield, my husbands! Let your valour speak tonight! Let no man of Matsya lust after an unwilling woman hereafter!’

  The last bit of warning exhausted her strength and Draupadi fainted. She could hear the brothers of Keechaka jeer at her call. They would pay for it soon, or so she hoped, closing her eyes. While alternating between consciousness and the lack thereof, she felt heat surround her. She was on the pyre! The logs had begun to catch the flame.

  The jeering continued till the sound of a conch rented the air, quietening them all. Draupadi sat up, recognizing the notes. This conch had been acquired during the conquest of the Rajasuya and she herself had named it.

  Anantavijaya! Yudhishtira!

  A cry of confusion spread among the brothers of Keechaka. Draupadi could not see through the thickening smoke. But one of the cries, she was sure, was a death cry. The first of them had fallen. Another roar penetrated their ears from the southern side of the burial ground. As if the God of Death had personally come to claim their lives. Though weakness consumed her physically, Draupadi smiled, exhilarated at the way Bhima found ways to work the enemy out even before he was visible.

  Before she closed her eyes again, she felt the flaming logs being moved away from where she lay. Before she could nod, assuring Sahadeva that she was all right, she saw one of the remaining brothers of Keechaka raise his spear to drive into Sahadeva’s back.

  ‘Watch out!’ she sighed, seeing Sahadeva duck just in time.

  The skirmish continued until dawn. The brothers of Keechaka, she knew, were no match to the Pandavas. Soon, she felt the ropes that bound her removed. The world again began to go dark, but Draupadi did not fight this time.

  When she gained consciousness, she found herself alone, in the temple of Ambika. The sun had risen. She saw the priest look at her dishevelled state and rush to bring water. The news of Keechaka’s death had begun to break among the citizens. It was no secret that she was the cause. The two women who arrived early to worship the goddess involuntarily came up to her and knelt before her. The unshed tears in their eyes told her how grateful they felt. Not just Keechaka, but his brothers too, had made the lives of the common people of Matsya miserable.

  ‘Goddess Ambika sent you to us, answering our prayers!’ a girl in her teens held her arms and broke down.

  ‘Pray, don’t suffocate her. She needs rest!’ the priest tried to control the swelling crowd. ‘I have sent a word to the palace, Devi. Someone will be here soon to take you back,’ he assured her. Cheering slogans with the name of Malini and her Gandharva protectors began to get louder.

  Before long, they saw a palanquin halt at the entrance of the temple. A couple of maids rushed to her side, making no attempt to hide their joy and relief at Keechaka’s death. She had almost forgotten that she still had four fortnights to live as Malini, the sairandhri.

  ‘Can we also see your husbands and thank them, Devi?’ an older woman asked, handing her some water.

  Malini tried to rise to her feet and felt Brihannala support her. The dance teacher had accompanied the palanquin from the palace.

  ‘Two months to go. And they shall reveal themselves before we all leave Matsya for good,’ she told the woman whose eyes betrayed fear again. The fear that surfaced in every face around.

  ‘No, stay with us,’ the woman pleaded.

  Malini sighed. ‘Citizens of Matsya, stop depending on invisible protectors. Every citizen of the kingdom who let the oppressors run riot is at fault. When they cast their lusty glance upon your daughters, sisters and wives, you advised them to “dress in modesty”, to “cover their beauty”, so that it would not “provoke” the molesting hands. But it only got worse. Then, your women withdrew to their homes, ceding more space to Keechaka and his monstrous brothers. Events spiralled to such a state that you were just thankful that none of them broke into your homes and forced themselves upon your women. But you had lost it, my brothers and sisters. You had lost the ground that was rightfully yours to those whose rightful place was either the prison or the cremation ground.’ Her fatigue was visible in the way Malini sought Brihannala’s support to remain standing. But her words found their mark in every heart around her. ‘The fault lies not in the beauty of your women, but in the sheer contempt that your erstwhile commander had for the consent of women. Let his death and that of his brothers remain a lesson to this land. You will not need the intervention of celestial vigilantes,’ she smiled and proceeded to exit the temple. The grateful crowd followed her till th
e palanquin moved off.

  The Pandavas and their queen had indeed repaid the city of Matsya for sheltering them during the year of incognito living.

  Three fortnights passed uneventfully after Keechaka’s death. Draupadi resumed her work as the sairandhri after a brief break. Sudeshna was understandably upset and requested her to leave Virata. When Draupadi told her that she would not stay beyond two months, the queen of Matsya had no courage to pressurize her. Draupadi had expected the queen to become aloof after the incident. But she was pleasantly surprised by Uttara’s increased admiration and affection.

  The first time Uttara saw her after Keechaka’s death, she embraced her tearfully. Draupadi knew that the princess of Matsya was not an admirer of her uncle, but the girl’s relief at Keechaka’s death was touching. Uttara had truly felt the sorrows of the women who had suffered because of Keechaka. In the subsequent weeks they grew closer, talking about the various happenings at Bharata; Brihannala joined them at times.

  Uttara often forgot herself, lost in narration or while expressing her fearless views. Else she would have noticed them share tender glances. Arjuna and Draupadi shared the feeling that Princess Uttara gave them what they had missed for long.

  Being parents!

  The last week of living incognito seemed to stretch forever. Each of the Pandavas felt restlessness overcome them. Draupadi, to her surprise, felt a strange sense of foreboding. Yudhishtira’s prophecy of war when they were at Dvaitavana kept ringing in her ears. At times, she woke up from her sleep to the sound of battle drums and blaring trumpets blowing in her dreams. Life had indeed become a challenge. They would emerge out of one intrigue only to find another waiting around the corner.

  True to her fears, Draupadi found Uttara and Sudeshna consumed by fear one morning. Sudeshna turned away when she entered, as if blaming Draupadi for whatever bothered them.

  ‘Susarma of Trigarta launched a surprise attack, raiding our cattle in the southern borders,’ Uttara explained. ‘Father is leaving for the battlefront.’

  ‘They have taken advantage of Keechaka’s death,’ Sudeshna spoke. ‘Even the gentle Kanka Bhattaraka has been forced to take up weapons.’

  Malini exited wordlessly, not caring for the protocol, and hurried towards Kanka’s residence. She reached just in time to see him at the threshold.

  ‘Samrat!’

  Yudhishtira looked at her tenderly and ushered her inside, where she found Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva. The sight of the low-quality weapons given to them broke her heart.

  ‘The weaklings of Trigarta don’t require my favourite gada!’ Bhima laughed, reading her thoughts, and patted her back.

  It did little to ease the constriction in her heart. The five brothers were going to face a battle as common soldiers under the command of a king who was nothing in front of them when it came to valour and wisdom.

  But she saw the point in staying undetected; it would be hard for Bhima to not be himself once he was unleashed in a battle.

  ‘The citizens of Matsya are already grateful to the “Gandharvas” for getting rid of Keechaka and his brothers. Sons of Kunti, give them another reason to support you when they come to know who you are. Vanquish Susarma and return victorious.’

  Yudhishtira came forward and brushed her hair, ‘Guard the palace and the women of the Virata family in our absence, Samragni. Arjuna shall stay back with you, in case of any unforeseen need.’ Lowering his tone, Yudhishtira added, ‘I see birds of northern regions fly this way, which is uncharacteristic. Something might be brewing up north.’

  Knowing that she could not afford an elaborate ritual of bidding them farewell to the battlefront, Draupadi applied the tilak on their foreheads and left for the palace, thinking about Yudhishtira’s parting words.

  The day passed restlessly for the women in Matsya and everyone thronged to the temple of Goddess Ambika, praying for the safe return of their menfolk. The night was also a sleepless one for most of the women, including Queen Sudeshna. It was in the early hours of the morning that the first messenger came carrying the news that Virata had gained upper hand over Susarma.

  ‘It is not that Matsya is vulnerable just because Uncle Keechaka died,’ Uttara remarked. Draupadi smiled to herself and Sudeshna was too relieved to react.

  But the women had hardly the time to celebrate the news fully when the young Prince Bhuminjaya rushed in, his face flushed with anger. The queen and the princess rose in concern when they saw strange men follow him into the inner apartments, flouting all protocols.

  Upon Sudeshna’s chiding, they apologized. ‘We are the cowherds who guard the cattle on the northern front, Maharani!’ They introduced themselves in a hurry. ‘The Kuru host descended upon us when we were grazing the cows and are headed towards the borders!’

  Draupadi found it hard to believe.

  The Kuru host had descended upon a neighbouring kingdom to steal cattle?

  ‘We never had any rivalry with them. What made them resort to this new low?’ Sudeshna exclaimed.

  Uttara rolled her eyes. ‘Mother, did you say “new low”? I thought they had breached all limits of lowliness when they had assaulted Empress Draupadi over that stupid dice game.’

  ‘I wish we had the luxury of worrying about Empress Draupadi! The Kurus have turned into lowly robbers now who want to steal our cattle! In our arid lands, we barely grow enough food for our sustenance. The cattle are our only means to prosperity!’ Sudeshna was on the brink of going hysterical when Bhuminjaya held her close.

  ‘Worry not, Mother. I shall face them all and win our cattle back,’ he promised Sudeshna. ‘Ask my teachers if you wish, Mother. I never miss an aim. My teachers tell me that I shall, one day, become a great archer like Arjuna, the Pandava! In fact, today I shall end the worries of all the Pandavas too!’

  Draupadi smiled to herself, touched at the young prince’s enthusiasm. Shooting arrows at stationery targets was one thing and fighting a superior force like the Kuru army was another. But the young Bhuminjaya was unaware of the key difference. The situation needed Arjuna’s intervention. Bhuminjaya’s sudden sigh interrupted her thoughts.

  ‘Father left me to protect the kingdom in his absence, but he never thought I would need a charioteer!’ The prince exclaimed and sulked, tapping his spear against the floor.

  A look at Sudeshna’s face told her the queen was still lost in the memory of her dead brother. Princess Uttara refused to take the momentary disappointment and asked the handful of guards left in the palace if they could drive her brother’s chariot in the war. But to her dismay, they expressed their inability to do the same.

  ‘Princess Uttara, how have you forgotten your beloved Natyacharya?’ Draupadi suggested.

  Uttara turned around, eyes wide. ‘Acharya Brihannala! One can’t get a better charioteer in the whole of Bharata!’

  Seeing the sceptical faces of her mother and brother, she leapt to her feet. ‘Don’t commit the mistake of dismissing Brihannala as a mere eunuch, brother Bhuminjaya. My teacher drove the chariot of none other than your hero Arjuna himself.’ Taking Bhuminjaya’s silence for acceptance, Uttara hopped towards the Nartanashala.

  Knowing that Arjuna would not say no to his disciple, Draupadi slipped away from the main palace hall. Arjuna would seek her before leaving for the battlefield. It did not take long for Arjuna to find her in the garden of Sudeshna’s palace. Draupadi tenderly held his arms, examining the armour and the quality of the metal. She had dreamt of the day she would see her husbands leave to face the Kurus on the battlefield. But this was not how she had wanted it. He would also be the single warrior against the entire host of Kuru warriors unaided by his brothers. However, it did not seem to bother him.

  ‘Aren’t there a few hours left before the term of Agnatavasa ends?’ she asked, seeing the movement of the sun.

  He brushed her hair with the same tenderness. ‘Vijayadashami, the day of victory, is not far away, Draupadi.’ Pausing to draw her attention further, he added in a low voice,
‘Princess Uttara asked us to gift her the garments of the Kuru warriors to drape around her dolls. She might be unwittingly seeking to avenge her future mother-in-law.’

  The statement drew a smile on Draupadi’s face. ‘Make her wish come true, Arjuna.’

  She knew that his other name was Vijaya and the name would not go in vain.

  Part Four

  War

  Thirty-four

  Peace at What Cost?

  The precious months of celebration flew by, filled with a slew of reunions. Reuniting with her son Abhimanyu and other sons of the Pandavas and their mothers almost made Draupadi forget the ordeals that had followed the fateful game. The celebrations increased as the day of Abhimanyu’s wedding with Uttara drew closer.

  Draupadi knew they had reached their peak when she saw a familiar chariot with the eagle banner approach their temporary residence at Upaplavya, a city gifted to them by King Virata on the occasion of the wedding. The formalities of meetings between the families of Pandavas and Yadavas seemed to stretch painfully. It was different when Krishna came alone. But today, the elders of the extended Yadu family arrived to grace the wedding of the son of their beloved daughter, Subhadra. Suppressing her impatience, Draupadi welcomed the guests. Unlike the times at Dvaitavana, the residence at Upaplavya, situated at the borders of Matsya, was spacious enough to host the royalty and nobility who visited them.

  Seeing Krishna surrounded by her own husbands as well as the princes of Panchala and other allies, Draupadi decided to wait until he broke free of them, which happened only in the late afternoon. Words were not necessary to express what each had gone through. She could imagine Krishna’s state. The Yadavas had divided into factions, one of them supporting the Pandavas, and the other supporting the Kauravas. Krishna’s own son, Samba, had wedded Duryodhana’s daughter, Lakshana, complicating the dynamics within his own family.