Draupadi Questions Her Status in the Kuru Assembly

Draupadi, dragged by her hair into the Kuru assembly, fell to the ground. She gathered herself and offered homage to all her superiors in the assembly, apologizing for not having done so earlier — a formal duty she had been unable to perform while being dragged. Then she spoke. She reminded them who she was: the woman the assembled kings had seen once, at her svayamvara (self-choice ceremony), and never again until this moment. "Earlier, the Pandavas have not allowed the wind to touch me in my house," she said. "They now bear it when I am touched by this evil-hearted one." She accused Time itself of having deviated, and the Kurus of permitting their own daughter-in-law to be oppressed. "Where is the dharma of the lords of the earth?" she asked. "According to dharma, it has earlier been heard that wives are not brought into an assembly hall. That earlier eternal dharma has been lost among the Kouravas." Then she posed the question that would hang over the silent hall. "O Kouravas! I am Dharmaraja's wife and I was born in the same varna as he. Tell me whether I am a slave or not a slave, and I will act accordingly... Have I been won or have I not been won?" The assembly was silent. The kings there, scared of Duryodhana, said nothing though they saw her crying. Bhishma finally answered. "O fortunate one! I have already said that the course of dharma is supreme," he began. "Even the great-souled brahmanas in this world are incapable of comprehending its course." He acknowledged the terrible ambiguity of the moment: "When a powerful man uses force, that is perceived as dharma by the world. But if a feeble one speaks about dharma, that is not regarded as dharma by others." He confessed he was incapable of giving a certain answer. "The issue is subtle, deep, complicated and important." He saw the signs of the coming end: "It is certain that all the Kurus have become addicted to avarice and delusion. Without a doubt, the destruction of the lineage will occur soon." He deferred. "It is my view that Yudhishthira is the supreme authority on the question. He should himself say whether you have been won or have not been won." Duryodhana smiled. He intervened, addressing Draupadi. "O Yajnaseni! Let the question now be placed before the immensely powerful Bhima, Arjuna, Sahadeva and your husband Nakula. Let them reply to your words." He framed it as a challenge to Yudhishthira's authority. "Let them declare before all these aryas that Yudhishthira is not your lord. They must establish Dharmaraja as a liar. You will then be freed from servitude." He concluded, "The great-souled son of Dharma is always established in dharma. He is the equal of Indra. Let him himself declare whether he is your lord or not. When he has spoken, you must quickly decide whom to love." The assembly reacted. Some applauded Duryodhana loudly and waved their garments happily. Others cried out "alas." All turned to look at Yudhishthira, learned in dharma, and at his brothers. What would they say? Bhimasena broke the silence. He grasped his large arms, smeared with sandalwood paste. "Had Dharmaraja Yudhishthira not been our superior and had he not been our lord of our lineage, we would not have tolerated this," he said. "He owns the merit of our austerities and he is even the lord of our lives. If he considers himself to have been won, then all of us have been won." Then his anger surfaced, directed at the act against Draupadi. "But for that, no one who walks the ground of the earth with his feet would have escaped with his life after touching Panchali's hair." He showed his arms, like iron clubs. "Once inside them, not even Shatakratu can escape." But he was bound. "Bound in the noose of dharma, out of respect for him and restrained by Arjuna, I am not doing anything dreadful." He made a promise, conditional on Yudhishthira's word: "If I am once freed by Dharmaraja, I will make my arms perform the act of swords and kill these evil sons of Dhritarashtra, the way a lion kills small animals." At that threat, Bhishma, Drona and Vidura spoke together. "Restrain yourself," they told Bhima. "With you, everything is possible." The immediate outburst was calmed, but the central question — and the fury it contained — remained unresolved in the hall.