Untold story episode #91
Draupadi was a unique woman, women in general, are very jealous, they really live in jealousy, if one wants to characterise men or women, we can say ego is the chief characterise of man and jealousy is the chief characterise of women. Man lives with his ego and women by jealousy. Jealous is the passive form of ego and ego is active form of jealousy.
Draupadi rose above jealousy and pettiness; she loved the Pandavas without reservations. In many ways Draupadi towered over her husbands who were very jealous of another on account of her love. They remained in constant psychological conflict with each other, while Draupadi went through this complex relationship with perfect ease and equanimity.
It is good that Draupadi is not a solitary case of this kind; she may be the last in long line. The society that preceded Draupadi was matriarchal perhaps Draupadi is the last vestige of that disintegrating social order.
In matriarchal society mother was the head of the family and descent was reckoned through female line. In matriarchal woman did not belong to any man, no man could possess her, any kind of polyandry was in vogue for a long time and Draupadi be the last of it.
Today few primitive tribes who practice polyandry, which is why the society of her times accepted Draupadi and her marriage did not raise any objections. It it was wrong Kunti could have change her instructions to her sons. But she did not. If there was anything immoral in polyandry even the Pandavas would have asked their mother to change her order.
The society in which Mahabharata happened was last stages of Matriarchy, as therefore polyandry was accepted. But that society is long dead and with polygamy and polyandry are now things of past. They have no relevance in the society where the numbers of men and women are in the equal proportion. When this balance is disturbed for some reason, customs like polyandry and polygamy appears on the scene. So there was nothing immoral about Draupadi.
Even today Draupadi was not an ordinary woman, she was unique and rare. The women who loved five men together and loved them equally and who lived on their love could not be an ordinary woman. She tremendously loved and it was indeed a great thing. We fail to understand her because of our narrow ideas of love.
Draupadi is closer to the times of today. She deserves attention of the modern women. Draupadi was born out of the sacred fire of yajan. Draupadi should be the role model for the today's modern women!
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