Draupadi

**Draupadi** was the tragic heroine, one of the central characters and the common wife of the Pandavas in the Hindu epic, *Mahabharata*. She is described to be the most beautiful woman of her time and was prophesied to bring a major change in the future. She was famously outspoken and independent, and she condemned those who wronged her family. In some places she is revered as a goddess in her own right.

## Draupadi

* With the Pandavas
* Birth

## General Information

### Alias

PanchaliKrishnaa

Yajnaseni

Drupadkanya

### Affiliation

PandavasHindu Myths

Mahabharata

## Biological Information

### Siblings

Dhristadyumna (brother)Shikhandi (sister later brother)

Satyajit (brother)

## Other

### Species

Human (with celestial blood in her veins)Devi (in some parts of India)

## Appearance

### Appears in

MahabharataAru Shah and the End of Time (mentioned)

Aru Shah and the Song of Death (as a statue)

## History

### Pre-Birth

According to the epic Mahabharata, Panchala is said to be the birthplace of Draupadi, who was also referred to as 'Panchali'. King Drupada of Panchala had been defeated by the Pandava Prince Arjuna on behalf of Drona, who subsequently took half his kingdom. To gain revenge on Drona, he performed a *yajna* called *Putrakameshti yajna* to obtain a means of blessing him.

### Birth

It is said that Draupadi emerged out of the fire as a beautiful full grown young woman from the sacrificial fire after her sibling Dhrishtadyumna. When she emerged from the fire, a heavenly voice said that she would bring about a big change in the future of dharma of Bharat varsha. Draupadi is described to be the most beautiful woman of Dvapada Yuga.

## In the Mahabharata

### Swayamvara

Draupadi was supposed to be wed to Prince Arjuna of Hastinapur. However, as the Pandavas along with their mother Kunti, were claimed as dead at Varanavrata, King Drupada arranged an archery contest. Whoever wins the contest is given their hand in marriage to Draupadi. The contest was to lift and string the bow and hit a spinning fish, which was placed on the ceiling, only by looking at its reflection in a vat of oil below. Many kings and princes tried and failed. Lord Krishna was also there but decided not to participate. Karna was one of the people present in the ceremony. He manages to string the bow when Draupadi suddenly interrupts and tells him that she will not marry a son of a charioteer, as they were considered low-class. Upon this insult, Karna drops the bow and leaves the hall. Considering that no Kshatriya could manage to pass, Drupada expands the invitation to Brahmins. The Pandavas, who managed to escape from Varanavrata alive, lived in the guise of Brahmins. Upon hearing the invite, Arjuna makes his way to the stage and succeeds in hitting the target's eye. When Krishna reveals that the Brahmins are actually Pandavas in disguise, King Drupada happily gives Draupadi's hand in marriage to Arjuna.

### Marriage to All the Pandavas

After Draupadi was married to Arjuna, she had to visit her mother-in-law, Kunti to recieve her blessings. Draupadi and the Pandavas made made their way to meet Kunti to tell her of Draupadi. Once they reached the place, Arjuna asked his mother to come out and look what they've brought home. Kunti, thinking that her son was referring to any alms he brought, told them to share whatever it was equally among the five brothers. This lead to all of the Pandavas marrying Draupadi. It was a rule that Draupadi would spend one year with each of the Pandava and if anyone intruded them, they would have to spend twelve years in exile.

### Building of Indraprastha

Yudhishthira, after his marriage with Draupadi, returned to Hastinapur along with his brothers to take his rightful place as crowned prince. But when they returned, Duryodhana refused to let Yudhishthira take over the kingdom. So Vidura, the royal minister, proposed that they divide the kingdom. So the Pandavas were offered Khandavaprastha, a wasteland forest which is under the rule of Takshaka, a Naga King. The Pandavas willingly accepted and left. With the help of Krishna, Pandavas rebuilt Khandavprastha into the glorious Indraprastha. The crown jewel of the kingdom was built at the Khandava forest, where Draupadi resided in the "Palace of Illusions". Yudhishthira performed the Rajasuya Yagna with Draupadi by his side; the Pandavas gained lordship over many regions.

A lesser-known fact is Draupadi's role as an Empress. Trained in the economy, she took upon the responsibility of looking after the treasury of the Empire, and also ran a citizen liaison. Her duties as a busy Empress are mentioned in her famous conversation with Satyabhama, Krishna's favorite wife, during their exile.

### Duryodhana's Insult

There is a popular myth that is believed to be the reason why Duryodhana hated Draupadi. Duryodhana and his entourage were exploring the keep during their visit to Yudhishthira's Rajasuya Yagna. While touring the grounds, an unsuspecting Duryodhana fell prey to one of the many illusions that could be seen all around the palace. When he stepped on the apparently solid part of the courtyard, there was a splash and Duryodhana found himself waist-deep in water, drenched from head to foot by the hidden pool. The myth is, Draupadi and her maids saw this from the balcony with amusement, and joked *Andhasya Putra Andhaha* meaning 'a blind man's son is blind'.

In Vyasa's Sanskrit epic, the scene is quite different. It was Bhima, Arjuna, and the twin brothers alongside their retinues who had witnessed Duryodhana's fall and laughed along with their servants. In the Sanskrit text, Draupadi is not mentioned in the scene at all, either laughing or insulting Duryodhana. Nonetheless, Duryodhana felt insulted by the behaviour of the four Pandavas, stoking his hatred of them. Later on, he went back to Hastinapur and expressed his immense agony on witnessing the riches of the Pandavas to his blind father, which was the root cause for inviting his cousins for the dice-game. His main wish was to usurp the wealth of his cousins which they had accumulated on account of the Rajasuya Yajna. Known to few, during this conversation, Duryodhan mentions how he had observed Draupadi serving food to everyone, including physically challenged citizens as the Empress. He says to his father,

> *"And, O king, Yajnaseni, without having eaten herself, daily seeth whether everybody, including even the deformed and the dwarfs, hath eaten or not."*
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He then went on to express his wrath at having fallen into a pool of water and being laughed at mockingly, mainly by Bhima, followed by Arjun, Nakul, Sahadeva and other menials in the palace. It is here, where he fleetingly mentioned Draupadi's name, who accordingly to Duryodhan, had *"joined in the laughter with other females."* Whether Duryodhana was speaking an untruth or her name was a later addition into this part of the text is debatable.

Draupadi's laughter went on to be singled out and romanticized by writers for centuries as a cause for the dice-game, and the war. In Vyasa's Sanskrit epic, however, her role in the scene is trivial compared to the exaggerated treatment it has received in popular adaptations.

### The Game of Dice & Draupadi's Humiliation

This key incident is often considered to mark a definitive moment in the story of Mahabharata. It is one of the driving reasons that ultimately led to the Kurukshetra War.

Together with his maternal uncle Shakuni, Duryodhana conspired to call on the Pandavas to Hastinapur and win their kingdoms in a game of gambling. There is famous folklore that the plan's architect, Shakuni had magic dice that would never disobey his will, as they were made from the bones of Shakuni's father. This story, however, is non-existent in the Sanskrit epic.

As the game proceeded, Yudhishthira lost everything at first. In the second round, Yudhishthira's brother Nakula was at stake, and Yudhishthira lost him as well. Yudhisthira subsequently gambled away Sahadeva, Arjuna and Bhima. Finally, Yudhishthira put himself at stake, and lost again. Despite that, for Duryodhana, the humiliation of the Pandavas was not complete. He proded Yudhishthira that he had not lost everything yet; Yudhishthira still had Draupadi with him and if he wished he could win everything back by putting Draupadi at stake. Inebriated by the game, Yudhishthira, to the horror of everybody present, put Draupadi up as a bet for the next round. Playing the next round, Shakuni won yet again. Draupadi was horrified after hearing that she was staked in the game and was now a slave for Duryodhana. Draupadi questioned Yudhishthira's right on her as he had lost himself first and she was still the Queen. Duryodhana, angry with Draupadi's questions, commanded his younger brother Dushasana to bring her into the court, forcefully if he must.

Dushasana dragged Draupadi to the court by her hair. Seeing this, Bhima pledged to cut off Dushasana's hands, as they had touched Draupadi's hair. Now in an emotional appeal to the elders present in the forum, Draupadi repeatedly questioned the legality of the right of Yudhishthira to place her at stake.

In order to provoke the Pandavas further, Duryodhana bared and patted his thigh looking into Draupadi's eyes, implying that she should sit on his thigh. The enraged Bhima vowed in front of the entire assembly that he would break Duryodhana's thighs, or else accept being Duryodhana's slave for seven lifetimes. At this time Vikarna, a brother of Duryodhana asked the kings assembled in the court to answer the question of Draupadi. He gave his opinion that Draupadi was not won rightfully as Yudhishthira had lost himself first before staking her. Besides, no one had the right to put a woman on bet according to the *shastras*; not a husband, father, or even the gods. Hearing these words, Karna got angry and said that when Yudhishthira lost all his possession he also lost Draupadi, even specifically staking her. Karna called Draupadi a "whore" for being the wedded wife of five men, adding that dragging her to court was not surprising act whether she be attired or naked. He ordered Dushasana to remove the garments of Draupadi.

After her husbands failed to assist her, Draupadi prayed to Krishna to protect her. Dushasana attempted to disrobe her, but she was miraculously protected by Krishna, and Dushasana found that as he continued to unwrap the layers of her sari, the amount of fabric covering her never lessened. Dushasana was eventually reduced to exhaustion, as the awed court observed that Draupadi was still chastely dressed. At this point, a furious Bhima vows to drink blood from Dushasana's chest, at the pain of not seeing his ancestors/entering heaven. This vow unsettled the entire court.

The only Kauravas who object to the disrobing of Draupadi in the court are Vikarna and Yuyutsu. Vidura openly calls Duryodhana a snake and demon after finding no support even from his own brother, Vidura is helpless. Karna further orders Dushasana to take Draupadi to the servants' quarters and derisively asks her to choose another husband who unlike Yudhishthira would not gamble her away. Just then, jackals call out as a mark of evil omen. Queen Gandhari enters the scene and counsels Dhritarashtra to undo her sons' misdeeds. Fearing the ill-omens, Dhritarashtra intervenes and grants Draupadi a boon. Draupadi asks that her husband Yudishthira be freed from bondage so her son Prativindhya would not be called a slave. In order to pacify her further, Dhritarashtra offers a second boon. Calmly, she asks for the freedom of the Pandavas along with their weapons. When Dhritarashtra asks her for her third wish, she reminds him that a Kshatriya woman can seek only two wishes, three would be a sign of greed. Dhritarashtra gives them back their wealth and grants them permission to go home.

Amused by the sudden turn of events, Karna remarks that they "have never heard of such an act, performed by any of the women noted in this world for their beauty." He taunts the Pandavas by praising their wife, as she had rescued them "like a boat from their ocean of distress".

Having restored their pride and wealth, the Pandavas and Draupadi leave for Indraprastha, only to receive another invitation for a game of dice, in which the loser would be given an exile of 12 years followed by a year of Agyatavasa, meaning "living in incognito". Yudhishtira yet again accepts the invitation and loses, and goes on an exile with his brothers and wife Draupadi.

### Living In Exile

#### **Durvasa's Visit**

Once, Draupadi and the Pandavas had finished eating their meal cooked from the Akshay Patra. Suddenly, sage Durvasa and his pupils visited them. They were sent by Duryodhana as he wanted the sage to curse the Pandavas. The brothers welcomed the sage along with his pupils and offered them service. Durvasa demanded food to eat as he was hungry. However, Draupadi had nothing left to feed the guests. Frightened that the sage would curse them, Draupadi prayed to god. Krishna then came there and asked her to give him the vessel. Draupadi gave the vessel to Krishna and he ate a single grain of rice left in it. The sage and his pupils suddenly felt that they had eaten a grand feast and left the place with satisfaction. Though a very popular tale, the "Critical Edition" doesn't include this incident.

#### **Jayadratha's Abduction**

While the Pandavas was in the Kamyaka forest, they often went hunting, leaving Draupadi alone. At this time Jayadratha, the son of Vriddhakshatra and the husband of Duryodhana's sister Dussala, passed through Kamyaka forest on the way to Salva Desa. Jayadratha met Draupadi and then started beseeching her to go away with him and desert her husband. Draupadi pointed out the immorality of deserting one's spouses when they were in difficulty and attempted to stall and dissuade Jayadradtha by describing how the Pandavas would punish him. Failing with words, Jayadratha forced her onto his chariot. Meanwhile, the Pandavas finished their hunt and found Draupadi missing. Learning of their wife's abduction by Jayadratha they rushed to save her. On seeing the Pandavas coming after him, Jayadratha left Draupadi on the road, though ultimately the Pandavas managed to arrest him. Arjuna urged Bhima to spare Jayadratha's life for the sake of Dussala and Gandhari, much to the indignation of Draupadi. In some versions of the story, Yudhishthira asks Draupadi to pass the sentence since it was she who was attacked, and she begrudgingly counsels to spare him because of the relations they share. Before freeing him, the Pandavas shaved Jayadratha's head at five places in order to publicly humiliate him.

#### **Agyatvās (Incognito)**

On the year they had to go into exile, the Pandavas chose to stay in the Matsya Kingdom. Draupadi became the maid of Sudeshna, queen of Matsya, and served her. One day Kichaka, Sudeshna's brother and the commander of king Virata's forces, happened to see Draupadi. He was filled with lust by looking at her and requested her hand in marriage. Draupadi refused him, saying that she was already married to Gandharvas. She warned Kichaka that her husbands were very strong and that he would not be able to escape death at their hands. Later, he forced his sister, the queen Sudeshna, to help him win Draupadi. Sudeshna ordered Draupadi to fetch wine from Kichaka's house, overriding Draupadi's protests. When Draupadi went to get wine, Kichaka tried to molest her.

Draupadi escaped and runs into the court of Virata. Kichaka kicked her in front of all the courtiers, including Yudhishthira. Fearful of losing his most powerful warrior, even Virat did not take any action. Bhima is present, and only a look from Yudhishthira prevents him from attacking Kichaka. Furious, Draupadi asked about the duties of a king and dharma. Draupadi then cursed Kichaka with death by her husband's hand. Laughing it off, Kichaka only doubted their whereabouts and asked those present where the Gandharvas was. Yudhishthira then told Sairandhri to go to the temple, as Kichaka would not do anything to her there (in some versions, he recommends she seeks refuge with the queen). With this, the king asked Kichaka to leave and praised Yudhishthira's reply as he himself could not think of anything.

Later that night, Arjuna consoled Draupadi, and with Bhima, they hatched a plan to kill Kichaka. Draupadi meets with Kichaka, pretending to actually love him and agreeing to marry him on the condition that none of his friends or brothers would know about their relationship. Kichaka accepted her condition. Draupadi asked Kichaka to come to the dancing hall at night. Bhima (in the guise of Draupadi), fights with Kichaka and kills him.

Draupadi called the members of Kichaka's family and showed them the mutilated body of Kichaka. The murder was attributed to her Gandharva husbands. This angered Kichaka's brothers and they decided to burn her along with Kichaka's body to take revenge. After getting permission from Virata, Draupadi was forcefully tried to Kichaka's pyre. Upon her pleading, Bhima ran for her help and killed the brothers of Kichaka, thus saving her from being burnt alive.

### The Kurukshetra War

During the war, Draupadi stays at Ekachakra with other women. On the 16th day, Bhima kills Dushasana, drinking his blood and fulfilling his oath.

There is a popular myth often depicted in well-known adaptations of Mahabharata. It says that Draupadi washed her hair with her brother-in-law Dushasana's blood, as a mark of her vengeance against the molestation she had suffered at the dice-game. Though an extremely powerful and symbolic theme, this incident does not appear in Vyasa's Sanskrit Mahabharata. Alf Hiltebeitel in his acclaimed research work, "The Cult of Draupadi" explores the source of this myth as he travels through the rural areas of India. He discovers that the first literary mention of the blood-washing theme appeared in "Venisamhara"  or "Braiding The Hair (of Draupadi)", a Sanskrit play written in the Pallava period by eminent playwright Bhatta Narayana. Since then, this powerful theme of vengeance had been used in most retellings and adaptations on Mahabharat, thus mistakenly attributing the authorship to Veda Vyasa.

#### **Ashwatthama's Attack**

Ashwathama, in order to avenge his father's as well as other Kuru warriors' deceitful killing by the Pandavas, attacks their camp at night with Kripacharya and Kritavarma. Ashwathama killed Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi, Upapandavas, and the remaining Pandava and Panchala army. In the morning, Yudhishthira hears the news and asks Nakula to bring Draupadi from Matsya Kingdom. Draupadi vows that if the Pandavas do not kill Ashwatthama, she would fast to death. The Pandavas find Ashwatthama at Vyasa's hut. Arjuna and Ashwatthama end up firing the Brahmashirsha astra at each other. Vyasa intervenes and asks the two warriors to withdraw the destructive weapon. Not endowed with the knowledge to do so, Ashwatthama instead redirects the weapon to Uttara's womb, but Krishna protected the Pandavas' only heir with his Sudarshana Chakra. Krishna curses him for this act. Ashwatthama is caught by the Pandavas and his jewel is taken away. Draupadi gives the jewel to Yudhishthira and forgives the killer of her children. Due to the power of meditation, her wrath is subdued and she lets go of Ashwathama, son of their preceptor Drona saying,

> *"I desired to only pay off our debt for the injury we have sustained. The preceptor's son is worthy of my reverence as the preceptor himself. Let the king bind this gem on his head, O Bharata!"*
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### Later Life and Death

Draupadi and Yudhishthira performed the Ashvamedha and ruled for 36 years. When her husbands retired from the world and went on their journey towards the Himalayas and heaven, she accompanied them and was the first to fall on the journey. When Bhima asked Yudhishthira why Draupadi had fallen, Yudhishthira replied,

> "*O best of men, though we were all equal unto her she had a great partiality for Dhananjaya. She obtains the fruit of that conduct today, O best of men.*"
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## *The Pandava Quintet*

### Reincarnation

Draupadi is currently reincarnated as Aiden Acharya, one of the main protagonists in the series.

> See full article→Aiden Acharya
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## Etymology

* **Draupadi** means Daughter of the King Drupada
* She was also called **Panchali**, since she was the daughter of the King of Panchal