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Well Vyasa doesn't interpret any scene or judge a character in Mahabharat,we have to exercise our brain to gain a better understanding.Here is the famous character of Mahabahrat - Draupadi,a person who is very difficult to understand.
We see Draupadi as a fearless woman with a powerful speech.
Occassion 1 - Remember what she said loudly to Karna during her swayamvar amidst the assemblage of hundreds of Kings...'I will not select a Suta for my lord.'
Occassion 2 - After 12 years of exile and having married Subhadra,Arjun reached Draupadi's place.Here Vyasa narrates that Draupadi, from jealousy, spoke unto him, saying, 'Why tarriest thou here, O son of Kunti? Go where the daughter of the Satwata race is! A second tie always relaxeth the first one upon a faggot!'
Occassion 3 - Yuddhistir lost everything during the dice game.
Pratikamin was ordered to bring Draupadi to the Dice Hall.When he narrated all that happened in Dice Hall her reply was..."What prince is there who playeth staking his wife? The king was certainly intoxicated with dice. Else, could he not find any other object to stake?Go, and ask that gambler present in the assembly, whom he hath lost first, himself, or me."
When Draupadi was dragged into the dice hall remember what she said..."Thou draggest me who am in my season before these Kuru heroes. This is truly an unworthy act. But no one here rebuketh thee. Assuredly, all these are of the same mind with thee. O fie! Truly hath the virtue of the Bharata gone! "👏
"Wait a little, thou worst of men, thou wicked-minded Dussasana. I have an act to perform--a high duty that hath not been performed by me yet. Dragged forcibly by this wretch's strong arms, I was deprived of my senses. I salute these reverend seniors in this assembly of the Kurus. That I could not do this before cannot be my fault."👏
Occassion 4 - When Krishna,Balaram and other Yadava Kings visited Pandavas in the forest at the beginning of their exile.
Draupadi said to Krishna,"I blame the Pandavas who are mighty and foremost in battle, for they saw (without stirring) their own wedded wife known over all the world, treated with such cruelty! Oh, fie on the might of Bhimasena, fie on the Gandiva of Arjuna, for they, O Janardana, both suffered me to be thus disgraced by little men!"
"'Husbands, or sons, or friends, or brothers, or father, have I none! Nor have I thee, O thou slayer of Madhu, for ye all, beholding me treated so cruelly by inferior foes, sit still unmoved! My grief at Karna's ridicule is incapable of being assuaged!"
Occassion 5 - When Yuddhishtir showered his kindness on Jayadhrath,Draupadi was greatly excited and said to her two husbands, Bhima and Arjuna, "If you care to do what is agreeable to me, you must slay that mean and despicable wretch, that sinful, foolish, infamous and contemptible chief of the Saindhava clan! That foe who forcibly carries away a wife, and he that wrests a kingdom, should never be forgiven on the battle-field, even though he should supplicate for mercy!"
Occassion 6 - After Keechak insulted her,she visited Bhima and said,"Arise, arise! Why dost thou, O Bhimasena, lie down as one dead? Surely, he that is not dead, never suffereth a wicked wretch that hath disgraced his wife, to live."
Occassion 7 - When Krishna was about to leave on a peace mission she strongly expresses her displeasure.She pours out her grief and tries to motivate everyone present over there.
So from these examples whe can confirm that Draupadi strongly expressed her dissatisfaction,she forced out her sorrows and conveyed her heart-broken state very well!
But...
There were occassions when she maintained silence...deadly silence!
Occassion 1 - Following her swayamvar,Draupadi left to the potter's abode with the Pandavas.Here Kunti gives a shock by saying "Enjoy ye all what ye have obtained." But Draupadi doesn't utter a single word!?
It was decided that she'll be the common wife of all the Pandavas...yet we find her silent,completely silent!She doesn't speak a single word!😲
She doesn't say anything even when her father Drupad and Sage Vyasa decide her strange marriage with five men.Draupadi who had spoken in her swayamvara with such decisiveness, such finality in her words that she shall not wed a soota, is utterly, completely silent here!
Does this silence mark her approval for having all the 5 Pandavas as her husbands!?Does this silence convey her like and interest in marrying 5 men!?
Occassion 2 - Vidura takes Dhritarashtra's invitation to Indraprastha inviting Yuddhishtir for the Dice Game.Before Yudhishthira's trip to Hastinapura from his capital Indraprastha for the game of dice,Draupadi didn't have anything to say to him!?She was aware,fully aware of Dhritarashtra's sons' wicked ways!We find her describing all that in length to Krishna when the later visited her with his brother Balaram and other Yadava Kings at the beginning of their 12 year exile.Read the following...
Draupadi said "O slayer of Madhu, who formerly drove the guileless Pandavas with their mother from the kingdom, while they were children still engaged in study and the observance of their vows. It is that sinful wretch, who, horrible to relate, mixed in Bhima's food fresh and virulent poison in full dose. But, O Janardana, Bhima digested that poison with the food, without sustaining any injury, for, O best of men and mighty-armed one, Bhima's days had not been ended! O Krishna, it is Duryodhana who at the house standing by the banyan called Pramana bound Bhima sleeping unsuspectingly, and casting him into the Ganges returned to the city. But the powerful Bhimasena the son of Kunti, possessed of mighty arms, on waking from sleep, tore his bonds and rose from the water. It is Duryodhana, who caused venomous black-cobras to bite all over the body of Bhimasena, but that slayer of foes died not. Awaking, the son of Kunti smashed all the serpents and with his left hand killed the favourite charioteer of Duryodhana. Again, while the children were asleep at Varanavata with their mother, it is he who set fire to the house intending to burn them to death. Who is there capable of doing such an act? It was then that the illustrious Kunti, overtaken by this calamity, and surrounded by the flames, began to cry out in terror, speaking to the children, 'Alas, I am undone! How shall we escape from this fire today! Alas, I shall meet with destruction with my little children!' Then Bhima, possessed of mighty arms, and prowess like unto the force of the wind, comforted his illustrious mother as also his brothers, saying, 'Like that king of birds, Garuda, the son of Vinata, I will spring up into the air. We have no fear from this fire'. And then taking his mother on his left flank, and the king in his right, and the twins on each shoulder, and Vivatsu on his back, the mighty Vrikodara, thus taking all of them, at one leap cleared the fire and delivered his mother and brother from the conflagration."
All this was described by Draupadi though she wasn't present during those occassions and certainly she was aware that Kauravas caused great sorrow for Pandavas and Kunti previously.Then why don't we find her advising Yuddhishtir helping him to recollect what has happened when they were leaving to Hastinapur!?What is her silence conveying here!?
Occassion 3
Dhritrashtra's sons lost in their fight with Gandharvas.Yuddhishtir was present near that lake with Draupadi performing the diurnal sacrifice called Rajarshi.Seeing the plight of Kauravas and their women Duryodhan's followers plead Yuddhishtir to come for their aid.This incidence took place after during the 12 years exile after dice game and Draupadi's insult.
Yuddhishtir commanded Bheem & Arjun to save Duryodhan and brothers as he was unable to leave the sacrifice place.He also said to an angry Bheem "This is not time for cruel words!Even an ordinary Kashatriya, would to the height of his power, protect one that hath come hither for refuge!"
The same Draupadi who was unhappy with Yuddhishtir's kindness and Krishna's peace mission in the later chapters doesn't utter a single word here!?😲
The probable reason we can find behind her silence in this occassion is her desire to see Kauravas vanquished by her men,Pandavas.If some Gandharva destroyed Duryodhan and his Brothers how would Bheem's pledges come true!?How can she attain peace!?
We don't find Draupadi as a victim of Kunti's unmindful words!Considering the incidents above it is right that she was very much interested in marrying all the Pandavas.Presumably she desired to marry 5 men,because of the impact of her previous boon.Here her silence like the above incident is conveying her approval!
We have seen that Draupadi doesn't allow things to happen against her interests especially when the situation is in her hand but what kept her numb when their departure for Hastinapur was decided!?😕
Did she want Yuddhishtir and other Pandava brothers to take revenge on Kauravas (for what they had done to them in their early years) by snatching their Kingdoms & wealth through the Dice Game!? or anything else you think to be a fitting reason here...!???😊
Anupamaa
