All discussions- before-during-after Dice game/VH here only/ DT Nt-128 - Page 42

" woman who is married to 5 men is not a wife but a wh**e. A wh**e has no honour. Even if she was brough here naked, it would not matter. Elders like Bhishma and the King are quiet, then why do you, Oh Vikarna, raise objections? Sit down and don't speak on dharma which you don't know about". Thus spoke Karna to suppress the protests of Vikarna, younger brother of Duryodhana, at events happening in the recreational hall. These lines uttered by Karna (maybe to revenge his insult by Draupadi during Swayamwara) would trigger the shameful events to follow. Karna had always been a reluctant participant in all the treacherous plans of Duryodhana and Shakuni. But today, he too came down from the way of Dharma.

After loosing himself, Yuddhistira even stakes his own wife. This was on the instigation of Karna. Vidura had requested King Dhritharashtra to stop the game but he is insulted by Duryodhana. Vidura tries again but nothing happens. Elders like Bhishma, Drona and Kripa are all present but no one raises an objection ever. Yuddhistira looses this game as well and Draupadi is now Duryodhana's maid.

Duryodhana tells a servant to bring Draupadi to the hall so that her can order her to go to the maid's quarters. She is no longer a queen and cannot stay in the palace. The servant returns with a question to Yuddhistira from Draupadi which goes like this "Can a man who staked and lost himself to be a slave have any right to stake his wife?" Duryodhana orders the servant to call Draupadi and ask all this personally. Draupadi refuses to come to the hall. Duryodhana then sends Dushashana to bring her. Dushashana drags Draupadi to the hall by her hair. Draupadi (was having a period) was wearing a single a piece of cloth as she was waiting for her ritual bath after which she can meet the elders. Her cloth was slightly blood strained as well. Bhim tries to get up to attack Dushashana but is stopped by Yuddhistira.

Draupadi questions Yuddhistira and his brothers. She asks then Bhishma, King Dhritharasthra, Drona and Kripa to help and protect a helpless woman. She also asks them the question if a woman is a property of the husband. Vidura instigates the king to answer and stop this madness. This is when Vikarna stands up and tries to protest the shameful event. To suppress this, Karna cites the then existing laws according to with a woman who sleeps around with 5 men is like a wh**e.

In some retellings, Bhishma sadly tells Draupadi that "Dharma works in very subtle ways". I believe Vyasa explained the most mysterious event in the entire epic in this work. Why did Bhishma or the other elders got up to help Draupadi or stop Yuddhistira from staking high? Except for Vidura no one did. In some retellings, Draupadi had confessed to Yuddhistira only that she had insulted Duryodhana. So did Yuddhistira (the embodiment of justice and righteousness) do this purposely?


In India many board games are spiritual metaphors. Snakes and Ladders was invented by a saint named Namdeo. It states the journey of an individual atma taking multiple lives. Every time he has a bad life, he is caught by snake and then has to come down and start the journey again. In the same sense, every time for a good life he gets a ladder and goes to higher planes of existence. I have read, throw of dice indicates free will while the movement of coins on the board indicate destiny/fate (although I would feel it is vice versa).


Following the words of Karna, Duryodhana orders the Pandavas to remove their crowns and robes which they do. Then, he orders Dushashana to remove her cloth. He then exposes his thighs and directs Dushashana to make Draupadi sit in his lap after disrobing. . No one in the hall object. Bhishma, Drona and Kripa struggled with their own understanding of Dharma as no law was broken. Draupadi, realizing this, finally prayed to Krishna.

Dushashana started pulling her robe. Draupadi immersed in prayers, raised her hands up and then a miracle happened. Dushashana kept on pulling clothes but it never finished. Somehow a new piece of cloth would appear. This was a miracle. I have heard so many miracles performed by the modern saints as well. Devotees seeing their divine sages in a distant town with out the sage having ever personally gone there. So maybe, this was one instance of divinity. Also, Draupadi was holding onto the cloth tightly and Krishna did not help her till she let go of her clothes and raised her hands. Spiritually, this means that you need to totally surrender to God/Self/Truth for Him to reveal Himself and help you.


Dushashana gets tired and lets go of the cloth. Draupadi vows that she will never forgive the kauravas and she will not tie her hair till it is washed in Dushashana's blood. Bhima too gets up and vows that he will cut those hands of Dushashana and drink his blood after tearing his chest. Bhima also vows that he will smash those thighs of Duryodhana. Draupadi is about to curse the picture when Queen Gandhari enters the hall and pleads her to not curse. Then, Gandhari pleads King Dhritharasthra to do some justice here. King Dhritharashtra, alarmed as negative omens from the wailings of animals, fears the curse of a pious woman. King Dhritharashtra tells Draupadi to forgive all and gives her three wishes. Draupadi asks for her husbands' freedom and then for their weapons. Draupadi reminds that as per Khsatriya dharma (Warrior code), a Kshatriya lady can only seek 2 wishes and not more. That would be greed.

Karna tells Duryodhana, praising Draupadi, "She has the sharpest tongue. The Pandavas have been saved by a woman". Arjuna addresses Karna as a charioteer's son again and vows to kill him.

King Dhritharashtra pleads to Yuddhistira and Draupadi to go back to Indraprastha and forgive all that has happened.