Originally posted by: luv_sakshi
Was Draupadi the main reason for the Mahabharat war? --- My Take on the same..
This is probably one of the most common and talked about issues whenever speaks of the Mahabharata. Draupadi was unique right from her birth. She was not conceived in a mother's womb. She was born from fire and as we know it, she was born young and not an infant. We all know that she refused to marry Karna during the Swayamvara. Let's acknowledge that she used harsh words to refuse him. But were they wrong? Till then, nobody (in public sense) knew who Karna really was. So, actually, she only spoke the truth when she called him a 'Sut Putra' and refused to accept him in marriage. Even if we take into account the fact that those words were hurting, are they enough to cause a war in which all warriors of the country would fight to death? Are all men fools that they would fight merely over the words of a woman? Does Karna's insult call for death of an entire Clan? Does it not sound illogical? Later on, Draupadi was accused of calling Duryodhna the son of a blind. Duryodhna was vengeful and her remarks may have hurt his ego or sentiments. But again, does that call for war? Even if the answer is yes, would all great warriors and kings of the country participate in it for the personal insult of another king? Surely, there needs to be something bigger for a war as extensive & destructive as the Kurukshetra.
Born of the sacred fire, Draupadi, only seemed to be walking through fire all her life! She was married off to the five Pandav brothers and was anointed as queen, but very soon was put on stake during a dice game and was lost. Unaware of all the happenings in the dice game, Draupadi was suddenly pronounced as a "Daasi" and now she had to do the bidding of her new master. This sudden twist of fate would have shocked Draupadi for sure. As though that wasn't enough, Draupadi was not only taken to the assembly, but an attempt was also made to disrobe her in front of everyone!
There is nothing more humiliating for a woman than losing her modesty. Draupadi was humiliated in a court where women simply did not go. Duryodhna left no stone unturned to insult Draupadi in whatever way possible. Similarly, Karna did not desist from calling her a wh**e and prompt Duryodhna to denude her. No offence meant here, but sadly, majority of the Indian psyche is male-dominant and they quickly come to a point where they can declare a female the kingpin of everything evil or destructive. Nobody will care then to explore what else could have conspired or gone wrong. Male-dominant society has a tendency to accuse someone and women (called a weaker sex) are the easy target. This is what happened with Draupadi too.
So, What actually caused Mahabharata then? Lord Krishna had gone to Hastinapur as an emissary of peace. He had told the entire court that the Pandavs would not reject whatever He promised here. He asked for 5 villages to be given to them. There was no demand of war or reinstatement of Draupadi's honor then. The offer was rejected outright. Duryodhna was eager to have war. He was amply supported by Karna. He was equally not stopped by his father. But the Pandavs had submitted their will to the will of Lord Krishna. Where was the question of asking for war then from the Pandavs' side? Even in the capital of Kingdom Virata named Upaplavaya, where the allies of the Pandavs sat and discussed all possibilities, Krishna had rejected all claims of war. He had declared that for personal revenges, one can't ask every other male to die.
So probably then, the reason for war was the greed of Duryodhna, the unmindful support of Karna and of course the blind act played by Dhritrashtra, not to forget, the poisonous role of Shakuni. So, Draupadi's words only bore insult and not war.
What stood for me in Draupadi are the following -
1. She was the first known intellectual woman of our History. She was the intellectual partner to Lord Krishna. The Lord who gave the Theory of Karma and The Gita to the world also gave Draupadi the status of an Intellectual Equal.
2. She was the First known woman to have had an Enterprising Nature" she worked as a Hairdresser to another Queen, during the Agyatvaas, to tide over difficult times. She joined her husbands in using her skill & knowledge instead of sitting at home, cribbing"a true Ardhangini, she stood by her husbands even in times adversity and helped them over come there misfortune. She was a motivator as well as a pillar of strength to the Pandav family.
3. She was the First Human being to raise her voice against Slavery"the Das Pratha. When Yudhishtir lost all material belongings and finally is asked to pawn his brothers, not a single Yoddha raised their voice against the Das pratha, except Draupadi --- she said that she was not an object of the Pandavs but a human being with an identity of her own. She refused to accept one human pawning another.
4. She stood out as a woman of intensity, high values, morals and Character and the she faced one of her worst moments when she was called a Vaishya. Her anguish and dislike for Daanveer Karna was probably also intensified because of his silence at Duryodhan's insults and unpleasant words.
5. Even Bishma Pitahmah hadrecognized her great knowledge and power to be positive, to fight out with great Dignity, the Humiliation hurled at her.
Draupadi's Dilemma is probably the dilemma of all modern day women who wish to be treated as equal and respected for their caliber, and to be an integral part of mainstream society. Draupadi gives hope to women that a day will come when Equality of Humanity will make this world a better place for the girl child & women...and probably that's why we can so relate to her!
Until & Unless we stop the denigration of Draupadi,;until we think of Draupadi as someone much more than a woman of 5 husbands, who was attempted to be disrobed in public; until we understand that Drauapdi was not the cause of the Mahabharata and until we restore her true picture in the minds of everyone, we cannot overcome the curse of wrongful propagation for subjugation. Draupadi was not the cause of Mahabharata, but the Victim of Mahabharata. Wars are not fought over comments of a young woman but over high aspirations of men to rule the land.
Probably, some of Draupadi's Characteristics proved to be fatal in declaring her as the cause of the Mahabharat --- she looked for perfection in men, commanded respect as an individual in her own right, and if insulted always retaliated. If it was not for her determination, Pandavas would probably not have ventured into war..
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Indian Mythology
Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
Shiv Shakti
Anupamaa
