Programsload461

( chit ....
N O. 72 Rs . 5/·
•
--
•
Draupadi sprang furl grown from the fire but no other heroine in Hindu mythology was as earthy as
she.
.
Her birth. sought by King Drupada presaged a purpose. Her steely will. which often gleams through her hapless married life, was shaped by the power and plenty that she knew as the beloved daughter of the wealthy king of Panchala. · But for this. her tale would have been as passive as that of any other woman of that era, which was less than kind to women.' Even as she lived as a woman typical of her times, her fiery personality lent a glow to every thing that she did. Though won by Arjuna she had to be the wife to all the five Pandavas. Her success in this task was notable enough to bring Satyabhama . seeking counsel on married happiness. When dragged into the assembly of gaming men, at _ Hastinapura her query in jurisprudence left the grave
elders there speechless. A dutiful wife, she followed her husbands in exile and kept house for them in the forest. An intelligent woman, she plied Yudhishthira with questions on morality. When Subhadra came in, as Arjuna's wife, Draupadi was jealous. But she controlled it under her regal bearing. She knew that Keechaka was dead. But her live wrath would not be satisfied. till she watched the . corpse on its way to be burnt. Draupadi was the total woman; complex and yet feminine. AMAR CHITRAK THA means good reading. Over 366 ti les are novv on sale.
© India Book
House Pvt. Ltd .. Bombay 400 026. All rights reserved 1986 Publishi>-d by H.G. Mlrchandanl for India Book HOUSi>- Pvt. Ltd., M',halaxml Chamber! 22, Bhulabhal Desai Road, Bombay 400 026 and printed by him at ISH Printers. Marc Naka. Mat~uradas VISSanjl Road, Andherl (East). Bombay 400 059. Edilor:
Ananl Pai.
Retold by: Kamlll Chandrilklnt
Artwork: Pratilp Mulick
ORUPADIi .KING OF P/fNCHAL!i, WA5 PER-FOR.MIN6 Ii 6RliND YAGN,<J. TO OBTilIN A MI6Hry
SON.
AND FORTHWITH F.eDkf THE FIRE SPleANG A YOUTH,HAND5OME~ 5T/i?ON6AND
A5 THE FL..AM£5 OF THE SliCRIFIClAL FIR.E LEAPT [email protected]
MAY AN EXCELLENT 50N EMER6E FROM THIS FIRE!
LET THE
BOY BE
CALLED DHRI5#-fTJDYUMNA .
,
- .
THEN TO THE /tM/iZEMENT OF ALL,THER.E AROSE FROM THE SrftME FIRE fl OAR);;;: MIiIDEN. TOO, WliFTIN6 THE FRA6RflNCE OF THE BLUE LOTUS IN BLOOM. ,---l THI5 GIRL 15 AN EXCEPTIONAL WOMAN. SHE WILL BRING ABOUT THE
DESTRUCTION OF THE KAURAVA5.
THE BRAHMANS CHOSE A NAME FOR HER..
lA'IRK lIND BEAUTIFUL AS SHE 15,
FROM THE MOMENT HE RECEIvED THE UNEXP£C.TED CELESTIAL 61FT OF THIS UNMATCHED C!>tRL AS HIS
DAU6HTER,ONE THOU6HT OBSESSED DRUPliDfl-HEI2 MliRRIA
LET HER BE NAMED · KRISHNAA.
ARvUNA, THE VALIANT PANDAVA 'M?ULD HAVE BEEN AN IDEAL HUSBAND FOR MY lA'IU6HTEF2..IFONLY HE,HI5
MOTHER, AND BROTHERS HAD SuRVIVED
THAT FIRE
F,;:rEf'~%~ AT
VARANAVATA.
A5THE DAU6HTER
OfDRUPADA 5HE SHALL BE CALLED DRAuPADI.
,
HE PONDERED FOR A WHIl..E. THEN-
I SHALL HAVE A HEAVY BOW MADE WHICH ONLY AN ARJUNA OR HIS PEER CAN WIELD. THEN A '
.
THE PANDIlVA5. YUDHI5HTHIRA,
BHEEMA.IiRJUNfi.NAKULfi AND SAHADEVfI, HOWEVER. WERE NOT OEAD. THE PLAN OF THEIR COUSINS, THE ENVIOUS KFJURfWAS,
7D 'ILL THEM HIID ,.-...,.,/..' FAILED.
'TA'6E,T TO CHALLENGE ANAC£ ARCHER.. '
LIKE HIM .
AT THAT MOMENT DI56UISED AS
8R.IIHMflNS THEY WITH THEIR MOTHER
K..UNn, WERE AT E*'I1CHII'R.flPUR.l1.
ONE OilY 11 BRJtHMllN CflME THERE.
PANCHALA , THE KIN~DOM , COME FROM IS A006 WIT H EXCITEMENT. IT -'5 5WA'IAMVARA FOR. _
DRAUPADr OUR. PRlNCE55 .
o
BRAHMAN! . WHO 15 DRAUPADI?
AS THE PRINCES LISTENED TO HIS STORY, KUNTI WATCHIN6 THEIR. FACEs (bUE55ED THE STATe OF HER SoNS'MINDS.
EACH ONE Off THEM 5EEMS 10 BE KEEN ON WINNING THE CHASTE DRAUPIDI AT THAT 5WAYAMVARP, .
LATER SHE CALLED THEM TO HER.
LET U5 PROCEEQ TO THE KIN6DOM;OF PANCHALA . DRUPADAtS CHAR.ITY TO BRAHMANS KMOWSNO
WHAT 00 MY BROTHERS
'1',
SAY'?
BOUND5.
•
YE/iRS OF PENANCE
THOU6H 8EFlUTlFUL,
CHIlSTE IlND /lCCOMPUSHED SHE WIlS FIlTED TO UNMARRIED. II
8ROU6HT THEIR REWARD. APPEARED BEFORE
I'A, UNCONTROLLED ER6ERNESS THE GIRL Re.PERTED
HER. REQUEST
HER..
FIVE TIMES:'
WITH SEVERE PENANCES TO
LORD SHIVA ' 5HAl.:L I TRIUMPH
WHAT FAVOUR DO YOU SEEK FROM r'ME'?
AN ACCOMPLISHED
HU.58AND... AN 1
HUSBAND... AN ...
OVER MY
FATE.
SHIVA SMILED'
'T.HE 0/RL WAS CONFOUNDED. ..
LORD I I.. .I ... IT WAS ONLY ONE HUSBAND
THAT I WANTED.
'--'~
50 BE';:,T;:'. YOU 5HALL HAVE FIVE HU5B1ND5 FROM AMONG THE 8HARATA PRINCES,
THE EVENT CAN BE POSTFONED. YOU WILL HAVE THE FIVE HUSBANDS IN ANOTHER LIFE.
, •
')oU, THE FIVE Pf.NOAVA5, AR.E THE FIVE HUSBANDS DRAUPADI IS ..DEsTINED TO HAVE . DESTINY
AWAITS 'YOU IN PANCHALA .MAKE HER. YOURS.
f H I5WAY. FULL OF HOPE.
THE PRINCES AND THEIR. MOTHEI2. PROCEEoED 70 PIiNCHIiLIi •
THE CNVTIfL CITY OF PlfNCHIfLIi WAS HUMN/IN6 WITH EXCITEMENT.
TH EY 5 fW THAT DURYO DHANA AND TI-iE KAURAvA5 WITH 5HAlCUNI,IHEIR UNCLE. AND KARNA THEIR FRIEND, ARE HERE .
LET US 60 TO THE 6wAYAMVARA ANDTAKE OUR PLACE AMON6THE
KUNT/ /tNO HER SON S CHO SE A POTTE£'S HOUS E TO LIVE
~,6RAH:::::: MAN 5 . ,.,.~
IN . AFTER. RESTlN6 FOR. SOM E 01£ -
••
•
a
THE 6REIiT PAY {;:)fqWNEO. WHEN /iLL WERE I'lSSEMBLED.
l
DHR/SHTADYUMNIi CAME
HEAR KJN6S ! THIS 15 THE BOVv.~THE NOBLEMAN WHO
~ro~R~'~''~D~L~E~A~0l~N~6~--1~' HITS THE MARK DR/IUP/iOI. S HALL TODAY WED MY SISTER.
KI'lRNA W/IS AMONG THE FIRST TO TRY. THE PliN[)AvA5 WERE DISM/WED.
IT'S KARNA! WE ' MAY CONSIDER. THE MARKA5
/lLREADY HIT.
BUT liS KA RNA 5 !RUN6 THE
BOW fIND 7OGt: AIM-
)QU SHOULD NOT HAVE
I WILL NEVER MARf!VEN
u~
ARJUNIi STEPPEO
r---------
FORWIiR~D~.
A HUMBLE BRAHMAN. YET HOW NOBLE AND CONFIDENT 15 HI!> 8EARIN0 .
•
HE HA5 SUCCEEDED! !
•
•
MEANWHILE KUNTI wAS WORRIED.
MY SONS ARE LATE. HAVE THEIR COUSINS REC06NIZED THEM AND KII..~LED THEM? WA5 VYASA MISTAKEN IN ...
LOOK SEE WHAT WE HAVE 8ROU6HT
TODAY!
WHATEveR IT 15, SHARE IT I EOUALLY AND ENJO'Y rr.
1'1 MOMENT
ARJUNA
WON HER.IT
LATeR. SHe CflMeOUT AND 511W
15 PROPER THAT HE
MARRy HER.
OR,AUPIIOI.
AND COMMIT THE SIN OF IGNORING M'Y MOTHER'S
ORDERS,?
NO YUOHI5HTHIRA, wE SHALL, EACH ONE OF US MARRY HER:. YOU THE ELDEST FIRST, THEN
BHE5MA,THENMYSELF AND THEN THE TWIN6.
ALL RJ6HT!
THEN DRAUffil2l SHALL8EA WIFE TO ALL OF US.
,
By THEN DURYODHIlNIl HAD LEIiR/VT THAT IT WAS THE P~NDrWAS WHO HAD WON DRAUP/jOl. BACK AT HASTINAPURA HE WENT 7D HIS FATHER, THE BLlNl
DHRITHARASHTRA. , - - ' ' ' . --------''':-~ ALAS! THE PANDAVA5 HAVE ESCAPED. AND THEY HAVE THE
MI6HTY DRUPADA AND HIS SON AS ALLlE5.
/3UT THE KUR.U ELDERs ADvISED DHRITHARfiSHTRIi AGAINST THIS. IF 'YOU WANT TO BE JUST. 5E~O FOR . THE PANDAVA5 6lVE THEM HALF THE KIN6DOM.
00 VIDURA.
8RIN6 THEM BAcK.
. .
WHEN THe PIWDAV~S RETURNeD 70 HASTINAPURATHE HEROIC SONS OF PANDU THE VJRTUOU5 ARE' AtIVE! ONES HAVE.A6REED
TO RETURN TO THE CITY.
'0 '--.
-
..
WHEN THEY CIlMe 70 PIlY THEIR. TO
HIlVIN0 OBTlllNeD THEIR RI6HTFUL OF THE K.IN6DOM THe. EVER-TRUTHFUL YUDHISHTHl teI! IlND H IS BROTHeRS RULeD VIRTUOUSLY oveR IT.
I GRANT YOU HALF THE KIN0DOM.00 TO KHANDAVAPRASTHA AND RULE FROM THERE. MAY PROSPERITY BE YOUR5. WE SHALL DO AS YOU SAY. •
DURYOOHANA,MOR£ ENVIOUS THAN EVER, PLOTTeD WITH . H IS UNCLe 0 UNCLE. SHAK.UNI. IS THERE
NO WAY TO RUIN MY COUSINSr
WHeN THe INVITATION TO PutY REIlCHeD YUDHISHTHIR.I1-
THERE 15. By A GAME OF DICE. YUDHISHTHIRA IS AN ADDICT AND I AM SHARP. WE WILL WIN.
I AM UNWILLlN0
GAMBtE WITH 5HAKUNI WHO, IT 15 KNOWN, CHEATS AT DlCE . BUT I MUST ACCEPT THE ROYAL CHALLEN0E.
fiT THE GAME YUDHISHTHI!?fi STAKED /iLL HIS WEALTH. THEN HIS BROTHER AND THEN HIMSELF, AND LOST ALL. 0 KIN6,THE12E 15 STILL
ONE DEAR STAKE YOU HOLD ON TO -
DRAU PADI. STAKE HER. AND WIN YOUR.SEL F
BACK.
J'L.''! ALAS! FOR TH IS i THE KURU:;:, WILL I
DESTROYEr
, 0O,BR'N~
DRAUPADI HERE.
,
•
•
PRIlTIKIlMI VENTURED 01N6ERLY INTO DRIlUPflDI'S PRESENCE.
I HAVE COME TO TAKE YOU 10 DURYODHANA. YOU HAVE BEEN 5TAKEDAND L05T BY YUDHI5HTHI
A KIN0 STAKING HI S WIFE. AWAY! ALAS HE WAS SURELY INTOXICATED WITH DICE .
HE DIDN'T. HE STAKED AND LOST RLL, EVEN HIMSELF.
GO BACK AND FIND OUT WHOM HE LOST FIRST - HIMSELF OR ME'?THEN COME TO TAKE ME.
HE HAVE NOTHIN0 ELSE 10 STAKE '?
WHEN PRATIKAMI CARRIED DRIlUPADI'S QUERY TO
DUR-YODHANA-
SHE 5HALL 0ET HER ANSWERS HERE. GO, DUH5HA5ANA. BRIN0 HER TO US.
IJUHSHASANA BROKE INTO OR/1UPADI's CHAMBER.
CAST ASII?E YOUR MODESTY, COME,YOU HAVE BEEN WON BY US. ACCEPT THE. KURUS AS YOUR LORDs.
ORAUPADI TRIED 70 RUN AWRY BUT RDARIN6 WITH ANGER. DUHSHAS/lIVA RAN AFTER HER..
COME HERE, YOU SLAVE ...
Yl:lDHISHTHIRA IS BOUND BY THE RULES OF 0AMBl.IN0. HE IS BLAMELESS. BUT 0 WRETC MY OTHER .HUSBANDS WILL NO F0R6IVE. YOU.
AS DUHSHASANA DRAGGED ORAUPADI IN, NOT A WORD OF PROTEST ROSE FROM THE ASSEMBL Y. JC;:iQ()5j~;Nc;:n:;ER . - - _ CHOOSE HUSBAND NOW WHO WILL NOT MAKE 'YOU A SLAVE B'Y I
THE KURU ELDERS HflVE LOST THEIR REASON. WHY ELSE Do THEY LOOK SILENTL'Y ON THIS GREAT CRIME? WHILE CR.Y/N6 THUS IN DISTRESS SHE CAST A 6LANCE AT HER. HELPLESS HUSBANDS. r---------------------~ r---------' YUDHI5HTHIRA, LOOK AT HER GLANCES FULL OF MODESTY AND ANGER AND KNOW THAT YOUR ACT A HIGHLy IMPROPER ONE.
fiT THIiT MOMENT-
THE VERY CLOTHES SHE IS WEARING BELONG TO US! SHE IS OUR SLAVE'_'_ 4
o KRISHNA, 5AVEME!
THEN LO! A5 ONE 6ARMEIVT WfiS REMOVED,ANOTHER. MlR.ACULOUSLY
COVERED
HER.~.S--:J;;;;~;--iT
FRUSTRIiTED liND ASH/tMED OUH5HASANIi SAT OOWN. BHEEMA, I SHALL,IN THE QulVERIN6 WITH BATTLEFIELD. TEAR. IWGER., TOOK. AN OATH . . , OPEN THE BREA5T OF THIS VILLAIN OF THE 6HARATA RACE. AND DRINK HIS LJFE
BLOOD.
'
THEN ALL THE BLED K.INGS ED THE SONS OF
ALAS! THE KURt HAVE NOT YET ANSWERED THJ
PUT THEM.
DUHSHASANA TRIED TO DRfi6 DRItUPADI AWAY BUT SHE RESISTED.
a
KURU ELDERS, I CANNOT BEAR TH IS PER5ECUTION, ANY LON6ER. AM I
WON OR. NOT? I SHALl- ABIDE
BY YQUR
; :..:)..,.,V