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I am curious about 'Draupadi as Biological child'. That would put a big age gap between Pandavas and Draupadi.

Hello Prof. Indraajeet,
I have read all your articles and i must say it has been an absolute pleasure reading them!
The way you have put your point across, sometimes with pure logic, sometimes with humor has been an absolute treat to read.

We have been discussing Ashwathama on IF elsewhere and there is debate on whether he knew it was the upapandavas that he had killed before he went back to Duryodhan and he lied to give his friend some happiness in the end.
And his killing of Dhristadhyumna was motivated purely by revenge and not as a commander in chief .
More than anything i am confused as to why he would be considered to become the next Vyasa when clearly his actions deserved the worst of punishments...i agree he can merit a pardon after he has served his time but to make him Vyasa?

Would appreciate your answers...

Thanks

@ Urmila11

If Yudhi had staked Draupadi, won't that be remembered in other ancient Texts too?

Kautilya's Arthashaastra remembers the Dice Game, but does not mention the staking.

Vaatsyaayana's Kaamasuutra mentions Draupadii's humiliation at Kichaka's hand, but does not mention Duryodhana or Duhshashana.

Besides, in Mbh. itself, the Dice Game is remembered many times, but staking is never mentioned ... all staking is in Sabha Parvan alone.

Further, the staking itself is improbable because the way it is described leaves several doubts. Why would Yudhi be staking alone in a standard Dice Game? Where is Duryodhana's counter-staking?

If Yudhi had really staked them, why would none ever blame him for that outside Sabha Parva? Even Draupadi with 'valorous tongue'? I have not found any single reference outside Sabha Parvan that there was staking.

regards
Indrajit

@ LiveYourDream

"More than anything i am confused as to why he would be considered to become the next Vyasa when clearly his actions deserved the worst of punishments...i agree he can merit a pardon after he has served his time but to make him Vyasa?"

I would not confuse Mbh. and Puranik Narrative.

Besides, in Puraanas, there are similar pairs - for example, we have another Vyaasa-Suuka pair ... we have some other Drona ...

Vyaasa is not a single person ... at least, after the first Vyaasa' composer of Mbh., the name just became an institution ... and many others regarded them Vyaasa ...

It is on this logic, I would suggest that the Asvatthama who would be next Vyaasa, might be some other Asvatthama ... not Drona's son of Mbh. ... there could be other Drona-Asvatthama father-son pair, just like the other Vyaasa-uka pair ...

In Shanti-Parvan, Yudhi hears from Bhishma the Narrative of Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana ... well, that might be this father-son pair ... and that might be some other pair too ...

Regards

Indrajit

I agree with you Sir, even Krishna and Vidur, the greatest followers of Dharma never blamed him. so people of these days are unnecessarily blaming Yudhi for staking his brothers and Draupadi which they should not. I will be eagerly waiting for the next part of your disrobing article.

Thank you so much...there being another Aswathama-Drona pair as there was another Durvasa makes sense

I totally loved and agree with your answer on Draupadi not being a vengeful person. It has been one of the hot and controversial topics in our IF discussions

One of your articles talks about body language...and the examples given are so compelling. I was wondering if you have examples of some more instances like this. Would surely be an interesting read...maybe part 2 of the article perhaps?


And your "Fall of Draupadi and the Pandavas" - Upanishidic Significance is such an awesome article...it explains so much. I had read that the swargarohana could be an interpolation and was always racking my brains as to why that would have been interpolated. What reason would it serve etc..But your explanation makes complete sense to me.👏

And lastly, what is your take on why Draupadi was married to all the 5 Pandavas when it was Arjuna who had clearly won her. Was is because of their mom's orders? I am assuming Kunti knew what she was doing when she asked them to share the "alms". Or was it because all the brothers were bowled over by her beauty? That it was preordained...she was supposed to have 5 husbands because of a boon(?!) does not sit well with me somehow...

Originally posted by: indraajeet

@ LiveYourDream

"More than anything i am confused as to why he would be considered to become the next Vyasa when clearly his actions deserved the worst of punishments...i agree he can merit a pardon after he has served his time but to make him Vyasa?"

I would not confuse Mbh. and Puranik Narrative.

Besides, in Puraanas, there are similar pairs - for example, we have another Vyaasa-Suuka pair ... we have some other Drona ...

Vyaasa is not a single person ... at least, after the first Vyaasa' composer of Mbh., the name just became an institution ... and many others regarded them Vyaasa ...

It is on this logic, I would suggest that the Asvatthama who would be next Vyaasa, might be some other Asvatthama ... not Drona's son of Mbh. ... there could be other Drona-Asvatthama father-son pair, just like the other Vyaasa-uka pair ...

In Shanti-Parvan, Yudhi hears from Bhishma the Narrative of Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana ... well, that might be this father-son pair ... and that might be some other pair too ...

Regards

Indrajit

Few more thoughts on Ashwatthama

Sir, though I am convinced on Krishna's offer to Karna (Udyoga 138-9) I had read your answer on geocities by Sushma ji .

If there was no human staking then the whole epic of Mahabharat gets reduced to a war for land between two sets of cousins. All the misdeeds of DDSK become justifiable as they were just trying to protect Dury's claim to the throne as the Ps were protecting Yudhi's claim. The Krishna that 1 billion people revere as God, becomes reduced to a partisan player in the family circus over bits of land (his towering intellect as evidenced by the Gita, not withstanding). Let me add here that I don't see any of them as Gods or Godesses.

Then Yudhi becomes an emperor propped up by Krishna's strategy and his brothers' muscle power who then proceeded to foolishly lose his empire on cards. Then after the prescribed exile fought a catastrophic war that led to the annihilation of the entre clan over power and property. I would say that would make the Ps and P and Krishna the antagonists of the epic if that was true

Yes , if it turns out to be a just a war for land and power, the fact that Duryodhana ends up in heaven after the war becomes more palatable. Otherwise the fact that he attained swarga even after molesting a woman just because he did his duty in the war is very hard to digest!