Draupadi addressed Bhishma asking him to deliver justice.
But Bhishma was totally helpless though he had all the wherewithal to take on Duryodhana. He was the grandsire, the eldest in the family. Though quite aged, he still was capable of single handedly vanquishing all those who could oppose him. He was highly respected even by Dhritarastra. He was considered to be an epitome of righteousness. His words definitely had an effect on all those assembled there.
But Bhishma was helpless in his own way. He was bound by his own promise to his step mother Satyavati that he would always be loyal to the throne. And unfortunately, it was Duryodhana who was on the throne. Yudhishthira was but a slave of Duryodhana.
Bhishma got up to express the tricky situation in which he was. He tried to plead to Draupadi why he was not in any position to help her. He said that the situation on hand was quite complex to give a clear judgement.
On one hand, Yudhishthira had wagered and lost her to Duryodhana. Even if someone were to claim that Yudhishthira was tricked by Sakuni, Yudhishthira himself never complained of any unfairness on part of Sakuni. He did whatever he did, and he took full responsibility to whatever he did.
One could argue that Yudhishthira staked Draupadi after having lost himself to Duryodhana. A person who was someone’s slave can in no way wager anyone else. So, how could Yudhishthira wager Draupadi who was still the queen and independent at the time Yudhishthira lost himself? The question of his losing Draupadi to Duryodhana did not arise at all!
Bhishma considered even this point and said that even if one accepted this argument, Draupadi was still a slave of Duryodhana. How? Bhishma said that a wife is always considered to be a part of her husband. And so, Yudhishthira always had the right to wager her. Even if someone argued that he could not do so after losing himself, Bhishma’s counter was that husband and wife are always considered to be inseparably together. Yudhishthira staking himself and losing meant that he had lost himself along with Draupadi. This was so, irrespective of whether he had staked her explicitly.
Bhishma further regretted how vulnerable so-called righteousness was. He said that what is right is often decided by who is mighty. As they say, might is always right. A weak man can never dictate what is right and what is wrong.
And regarding the way she was treated, Bhishma had all sympathies for Draupadi. But after having lost to Duryodhana, Draupadi was no longer the queen who she used to be. She was merely a slave and her master had every right to use her in whichever manner he found fit. Bhishma felt that he could not interfere in that!
That was the height of an evasive reply, that too from a so-called epitome of righteousness, namely Bhishma. The real thing was that, Bhishma considered his own promise to his step mother more important than whatever injustice that was going on. He had sympathies for Draupadi, but he did not have the moral courage to confront the throne, no matter who sat on it; No matter, what nonsense that person committed.
That is when the otherwise fair Bhishma becomes guilty of whatever crime Duryodhana and his coterie was indulging in. He became guilty of abetting the crime, the crime which he could have prevented. A crime to which he became a silent spectator.
But Bhishma expressed his displeasure towards the way a chaste woman like Draupadi was dragged into the court, while she was not even properly dressed.
On this, Karna got up to express his opinion. Karna said that Draupadi was no chaste woman. She married not one but five men. That way, she was the most characterless woman. Such characterless women had no shame and they deserved to be treated the way she was treated. He further said that as a slave, it hardly mattered whether she was not properly dressed or even completely naked. It is up to her master to decide that! He openly invited Draupadi to accept Duryodhana as her new husband since her old husbands were no longer hers. She could live like a queen, holding the hands of Duryodhana!
Duryodhana was elated by the words of his friend Karna. He asked Dhushasana to disrobe Draupadi in front of the full court. The Pandavas were furious at this suggestion. But they could do nothing, being bound by the state in which they were. They could not raise their hands against their new master, namely Duryodhana. They could not help Draupadi either, since Yudhishthira had lost her. If they did any of that, that would be violation of the words of Yudhishthira who had foolishly wagered everything and lost.
Dhushasana was always waiting for such an opportunity. He caught hold of the edge of Draupadi’s lose garment and started disrobing her. Indian women normally wear a long piece of cloth called Sari that they drape around their waste. Dhushasana started pulling it so as to unwrap it around her waist.
Draupadi was totally helpless. Her husbands, though quite capable, were hanging down their heads like cowards. The elders like Bhishma had expressed their helplessness. The old King Dhritarastra took shelter behind his disability namely that of being blind. The other people in the assembled court had no courage to confront Duryodhana who was the King for all practical purposes. Whom would Draupadi look for help?
There was one who is the friend of all those people who are helpless. The one who is not scared of anyone. It was Krishna! Draupadi prayed to Krishna to help her at this most awkward situation in her life. Dhushasana was about to completely disrobe her in front of all those assembled. And there was none in the assembly who could help her.
Krishna was in Dwarika at that time. And it was far away from Hastinapur. But God knows everything. Krishna was highly distressed by the plight of Draupadi. And the miracle happened. More the wicked Dhushasana tried to pull out Draupadi’s robes, more new robes started appearing on Draupadi’s body. There was a big heap of robes pulled out by Dhushasana and Draupadi was still clothed! Was it Krishna who saved her, or was it her purity that came to her help?
At last, tired and exhausted, Dhushasana gave up. But Bhima was not prepared to pardon him for whatever he did. He could have killed Dhushasana on the very moment for the sin he had committed. But he was restrained by Yudhishthira. Bhima swore that one day he would break open Dhushasana’s chest and drink his blood. He would also anoint Draupadi’s disheveled hair with Dhushasana’s blood and tie them back. He also swore that he would break the thighs of Duryodhana who offered them to Draupadi so that she could sit on them as his mistress.
Entire assembly was shocked by Bhima’s vows. They knew very well that Bhima was capable of doing all that. At the very moment, they heard jackals howling in the prayer hall of the palace. They also heard several donkeys braying and strange birds making scary sounds. All these were considered to be grave omens. Everyone was sure that some calamity was going to happen.
What happened next? Let us discuss that in the next episode.
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