Hours sped like a chariot. One night went past very fast.
Draupadi stood quietly as the calm water surface in the lap of the morning encircled by the golden rays. The throbbing of her full mind had the purity of the sound of the conch. It had the holiness of the holy water in the conch. Her maids stood around her burning incense into her thick curly hair. They were drying her wet hair. When they saw Mother Kunti coming, they moved away. While the incense was being smoked into her hair, she could not see Mother’s face. Her breath was frozen.
Mother Kunti is my husbands’ mother. I should not keep any hatred towards her. I am not a selfish daughter-in-law. I’m born in the Yajnja fire. I was born hearing the sound of the veda manthras. For that reason alone I could learn the sciences. The Gurudev had said that veda mantras were for overcoming the cyclic motion of Time.
“You are a scholar. You will by heart instantly when something is said. Six parts of the Vedas and sukhtas should be learnt. You don’t require anything other than this.You can learn Dhanur Veda—archery like Shikhandi -Ujjwala.”
Accepting Guru’s blessings, I said.
“ You have given me more than a woman requires. We require only intellect. Patience and prudence will naturally follow. A woman who is a scholar will not require a training of archery and a war using it.”
Mother Kunti’s presence reminded me of it. She is very clever. She has come to give some commandment.
Loosening each hair and burning the smoke into it, Mother said.
“A woman has her husband like this hair. Only a woman who behaves knowing the likes and dislikes of her husband will be successful in life. Just as we protect the hair on our head, the husband’s likes and dislikes must be protected. Each hair is equally important.”
Draupadi could not understand what she was trying to say initially. Gradually it dawned on her.
I have to consider my husbands with equal importance!
Draupadi was displeased, though she did not express it. “Drupada-Princess, you are now the wife of the Pandavas.
The wife of the five heroic warriors! You should see them equally. There may be differences in the likes. In behavior also. Nakula is a younger one. Since you have garlanded Arjuna during the Swayamvara, Princess, you should not end your wifeliness with Arjuna alone. For Yudhishthira and me both Nakula and Sahadeva are equally our beloved.”
When Mother Kunti went away, I thought, it was a warning. Nakula and Sahadeva are her children. They should not be rejected. That means, they also should occupy the position of my husbands! The Second One Bhima had told me some Pandava stories. Mother does not know that I have understood the ‘glory’ of the Pandavas through him.
As Draupadi stood in the bedroom of Nakula, he said, “ Draupadi! I can’t see you as my wife.”
“Why?” Draupadi looked at Nakula.
“You are my elder brother’s wife. Elder brother’s wife is equal to mother.”
Draupadi laughed contemptuously.
“If after the nights of Nakula and Sahadeva, when I reach Yudhishthira, suppose he says my younger brothers’ wife is like a daughter to me….”
On hearing Draupadi’s question, Nakula was stunned. Then he said quietly.
“ Brother Yudhishthira won’t say like that, because Draupadi was a big weakness to him. But I have no need of this.”
Draupadi was dumbfounded. Apparently there is no water current on the surface. But there’s a strong undercurrent. There is indeed dissension in the brothers’ minds.
Draupadi’s hatred towards Yudhishthira mounted up. “When the eldest brother said that, you could have told him
that you could not do it.”
“What do you know about it? Brother Yudhishthira had never told us about his desires. But somehow or other, he would satisfy our desires. When Brother has such a desire for the first time, how will we stand against it? If we oppose him, suppose he says he doesn’t want any marriage during this life?”
Draupadi was surprised. What he said was right.
That was right for them. The Pandavas should not be divided. “But you married me and made me your wife. So you have
to accept me as your wife. What’s there if one person withdraws. I’m the wife of the Pandavas.”
Draupadi slowly moved to Nakula and stood close to him. The son of Madri who had mentally calculated and tactfully wanted to withdraw from the position of a husband, could not evade the fragrance of the lotus emanating from Draupadi’s body. As the Fourth Pandava, Nakula settled into Draupadi.
(Cont’d)
