Post by jksivan on Sept 5, 2013 15:11:55 GMT 5.5
Dear Children
64 ‘’ THE TIMELY HELP ‘’
Do you remember my having told you about the beautiful palace designed and constructed by the Divine sculptor Mayan, under instruction from Krishna, for the Pandavas at Indra Prastham. It was matchless in its beautiful design, comfortable living spaces and lawns, spacious patios, verandas, halls and Royal court house etc., The building was precious stones studded with delightful illumination to present an amazing look. The queen of the palace was Drowpathi. She was dark and beautiful and she had a name because of her dark complexion as ‘’ Krishnaa”. See what a strange coincidence therefore for the two ‘’Krishnaas’’ being the key persons in the epic Mahabharatham, a male and a female with the same name one instrumental for the beginning of the war between Kauravas and Pandavas, and the other being instrumental in the Pandavas winning the war and Kauravas’ complete annihilation.
She was named Draupathi, because she was the one who emerged from the Holy fire of the Yagna performed by the king of Panchaal, Drupath, He was blessed to have her from the holy fire tof be brought up as his pet daughter, and so she was named ‘’Draupathi”. A baby boy also emerged from the holy fire in the Yagna. In fact, Drupath organized the holy yagna, to appease gods and receive their blessing in becoming very strong and find a way to revenge Drona who made him a slave after defeating him with the help of Arjuna. The baby boy was named Dhrishtadhyumnan. Dhrupadh prayed gods to grant him a son who would revenge and kill Dhrona for the insult he suffered in his hands. He trained Dhrishtadhyumnan preparing him as the arch enemy of Dhronacharya.
Dear children, you may be remembering what you read in a previous story I told you, about Arjuna contesting the Mathsyendram competition and winning Dhraupadhi as the prize.
Yudhishtra the eldest Pandava along with his brothers were very proud of Arjuna for his matchless performance and masterful feat in hitting the mathsyendram and they all went home with Dhraupadhi now declared Arjuna’s wife by the King Drupadh.
When they were all entering the ashram where they lived, Kunthi their mother was in kitchen cooking food for them. She did not know anything about Arjuna’s participation in the contest and the biggest prize he won in the form of the princess Draupadhi.
So when the happy Yudhishtra announced her “Mathaji, can you guess what we brought home today? ‘’ she was under the impression that they brought home some food item for eating that night. So without looking back to see what or who was there behind her at the entrance of the ashram, she quickly replied
’My darling son, Yudhishtra, whatever be it, all the five of you sháre it as usual, equally. My only wish in this world is that all the five of you should be united, equally enjoy and own whatever you get. Nothing on this earth will make me more happy than that’’ .
Under such circumstances, Draupathi had become the common wife for all the five Pandavas because in those days, whatever the mother or father says it was the verdict for the children to strictly follow. Parents were held in such high esteem by the children.
Krishna always was very much affectionate towards Draupathi and she too loved and revered him as the god on earth.
One day Dhraupathi was talking to Krishna and during their interesting conversation Draupathi asked "Krishna can you then tell me who I was in my earlier birth?’
Krishna replied ‘’You were Nalayini. You were a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva and you sought a boon from Him. Your prayer to Lord Shiva was “My god Lord Shiva, I wish in my next birth, my husband possesses all the fourteen greatest divine characteristics and virtues,”’
Lord Shiva granted the boon saying '' whoever you marry will be possessing all the 14 sath gunas, but such sathgunas ''
But such sathgunas were not to be found in any single person, and a combination of five persons can only obtain for you the said sathgunas and so you became the wife of Pandavas possessing the sathgunas you sought as the boon from Lord Shiva’’
Draupathi when she learnt this secret from Krishna was completely flabbergasted.
Another incident connected with Draupathi in Mahabharath is interesting which you have to be told now.
When Pandavas made their big beautiful palace in Indraprastham specially constructed by the heavenly sculptor Mayan, under instructions from Krishna, they celebrated the housewarming ceremony by throwing a grand feast to many invitees. The Kauravas led by Dhuryodhana too attended the celebrations and Dhuryodhana could ontrol his envy and jealousy against the Pandavas.
Dhuryodhana was dumbfounded by the innovative designing of the palace and went around the entire palace part by part. He came across a huge hall inside the palace which appeared like a crystal clear swimming pool with clean still waters and so he avoided stepping into the water and selected another big pathway which was a black marble laid walking area. He and his brothers walked towards that area to cross the water pool. Everyone was observing them. When Dhuryodhana stepped on the black marble area he fell into a deep pond which looked like a marble stone floor. His brothers too followed him in falling into the pond. Draupathi was on the balcony watching all these and she joined lothers in laughing at the fall of the Kaurava prince and his brothers. Dhuryodhana walked out of the pool completely wet and was given alternative dresses by Pandavas. He marvelled at the deceptive look of the design and construction but could not forget the insult he suffered. Particularly he was angry when he saw Draupathi enjoying a hearty laugh at his fall. It was a permanent scar in his mind against her and the Pandavas adding to his enmity towards them.
Later this enmity and jealousy in Dhuryodhana grew bigger and manifested in the form of a scheme he devised with the help of his evil uncle Sakuni in cheating and defeating the Pandavas robbing their kingdom also rendering them slaves and nomads.
He waited for many years sleeplessly to laugh heartily when Pandavas were declared slaves and banished and the laugher echoed what Draupathi laughed when he fell into the pool of water at Indraprastham long ago.!
So when the Pandavas lost everything in the dice game they played against the evil Sakuni, and were declared utterly defeated with nothing in their possession, even after losing Draupathi, their wife, who too was pledged and lost , Dhuryodhana loudly commanded his brother
‘’Duschadhan go straighaway to Indraprastham, and bring that proud Dhraupadhi here immediately, who is our slave. If she refused to go with you, drag her her using pressure and force’’
Draupadhi was with a single cloth covering her when Duschadhana suddenlyentered the palace without any notice, and demanded her accompanying him to Hasthinapuram. She refused and pleaded him to leave her there. But the cruel Duschadhana dragged her by catching hold of her hair and pushed her before Duryodhana in the crowded Court of Duryodhana. Draupadhi pleaded and appealed to him not to involve her and disrespect her. But nothing entered ino the ears of the cruel king. She appealed to everyone in the court to support and save her modesty. Every was a stone figure silent and shocked at what was happening.
‘’Duschadhana disrobe these Pandava slaves and remove their ornaments and apparels, let them be semi nude beggars and slaves to us. Pandavas silenly yielded to his command as they lost everything.
‘’Now disrobe this arrogant woman Draupadhi also. Let her be nude and put to shame in front of all of us’’ Draupadhi cried helplessly and appealed to her mighty husbands who were silent and could do nothing to save or help her and thir eyes shed tears born of their fate and helpless condition.
‘’Duschadhan came to Draupadhi and began pulling away from her waist, her only cloth covering her body and Draupadhi was crying loud and her only refuge then was to appeal to Krishna like a wounded helpless cow, ‘’Hare Krishna, Dheenabhandhu, Aaapathbhandhavaa, Anaadha rakshakaa’’ She folded her hands in complete faith and trust in him only and succumbed to Duschadhan’s force to remove her only piece of cloth protecting her modesty.
Krishna was talking with Rukmini when he heard the appeal faintly from a long distance and during their conversation he abruptly stopped it suddenly became a statue looking blank somewhere and raised his right palm in that direction.
Rukmini was surprised at Krishna’s sudden change in attitude and addressed |’’Swami, what happened, Why……?’’ She noticed his concentration somewhere and stopped disturbing him.
Draupathi saw all of a sudden Krishna’s Abhaya hastham and she had almost fainted and becoming unconscious. But Duschaadhan was busy removing her cloth and he could not remove it from her waist. It looked a single piece of cloth but was endless and the more he pulled it the longer it grew around her waist.
The strong Duschadhan was relentless and began pulling it fast and hard and the cloth seemed to be testing his patience and strength. It kept on coming out of Draupathi’s waist and Duschadhan was fightint with it until his shoulders and hands began paining him and he fell down exhausted amidst the huge cloth mountain he removed from her.
Draupathi was saved by Krishna and she vowed there in presence of all that the hair pulled by Duschadhan will not be again tied into a knot by her until she got his blood to be used as the hair oil or her to again tie a knot on her head.
This ultimately was done when Bheema killed Duschadhana and his blood was brought to her to apply to her hair to tie it into a knot .
Dear children, if any of you know tamil I would strongly recommend you to read or ask someone to read for you the PANCHALI SABATHAM , a great poem written by Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi, which I read many times and enjoyed the powerful writing of Bharathi in describing the above vow of Draupadhi.
In the meantime, the news spread to the harem and palace room of the blind old king Dhritharashtra and his wife Gandhaari. They both rushed to the court hall to ensure Draupathi was restored to the palace queens’room.
Pandavas and Draupathi were banished for 12 years to live in forest and to live one year incognito. You will be reading about these in the coming stories in bits and pieces suiting the need and situation in our short stories.
Dear children, what you should not fail to understand from this story is Krishna is ever ready to come to our rescue if we pray to him whole hearted with faith in him. His very name suggests that he is the friend of those who are helpless, diretionless, a source of protection in dire need. In tamil there is a name for Krishna as KANNAN ( THE EYE MAN’’ - what does it mean? He has his eyes always open and steadily looking at everything and everone, round the clock, to rush to our need and to help us’’ Do we remember this and do we appeal to him, and do we thankfully think of him?
64 ‘’ THE TIMELY HELP ‘’
Do you remember my having told you about the beautiful palace designed and constructed by the Divine sculptor Mayan, under instruction from Krishna, for the Pandavas at Indra Prastham. It was matchless in its beautiful design, comfortable living spaces and lawns, spacious patios, verandas, halls and Royal court house etc., The building was precious stones studded with delightful illumination to present an amazing look. The queen of the palace was Drowpathi. She was dark and beautiful and she had a name because of her dark complexion as ‘’ Krishnaa”. See what a strange coincidence therefore for the two ‘’Krishnaas’’ being the key persons in the epic Mahabharatham, a male and a female with the same name one instrumental for the beginning of the war between Kauravas and Pandavas, and the other being instrumental in the Pandavas winning the war and Kauravas’ complete annihilation.
She was named Draupathi, because she was the one who emerged from the Holy fire of the Yagna performed by the king of Panchaal, Drupath, He was blessed to have her from the holy fire tof be brought up as his pet daughter, and so she was named ‘’Draupathi”. A baby boy also emerged from the holy fire in the Yagna. In fact, Drupath organized the holy yagna, to appease gods and receive their blessing in becoming very strong and find a way to revenge Drona who made him a slave after defeating him with the help of Arjuna. The baby boy was named Dhrishtadhyumnan. Dhrupadh prayed gods to grant him a son who would revenge and kill Dhrona for the insult he suffered in his hands. He trained Dhrishtadhyumnan preparing him as the arch enemy of Dhronacharya.
Dear children, you may be remembering what you read in a previous story I told you, about Arjuna contesting the Mathsyendram competition and winning Dhraupadhi as the prize.
Yudhishtra the eldest Pandava along with his brothers were very proud of Arjuna for his matchless performance and masterful feat in hitting the mathsyendram and they all went home with Dhraupadhi now declared Arjuna’s wife by the King Drupadh.
When they were all entering the ashram where they lived, Kunthi their mother was in kitchen cooking food for them. She did not know anything about Arjuna’s participation in the contest and the biggest prize he won in the form of the princess Draupadhi.
So when the happy Yudhishtra announced her “Mathaji, can you guess what we brought home today? ‘’ she was under the impression that they brought home some food item for eating that night. So without looking back to see what or who was there behind her at the entrance of the ashram, she quickly replied
’My darling son, Yudhishtra, whatever be it, all the five of you sháre it as usual, equally. My only wish in this world is that all the five of you should be united, equally enjoy and own whatever you get. Nothing on this earth will make me more happy than that’’ .
Under such circumstances, Draupathi had become the common wife for all the five Pandavas because in those days, whatever the mother or father says it was the verdict for the children to strictly follow. Parents were held in such high esteem by the children.
Krishna always was very much affectionate towards Draupathi and she too loved and revered him as the god on earth.
One day Dhraupathi was talking to Krishna and during their interesting conversation Draupathi asked "Krishna can you then tell me who I was in my earlier birth?’
Krishna replied ‘’You were Nalayini. You were a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva and you sought a boon from Him. Your prayer to Lord Shiva was “My god Lord Shiva, I wish in my next birth, my husband possesses all the fourteen greatest divine characteristics and virtues,”’
Lord Shiva granted the boon saying '' whoever you marry will be possessing all the 14 sath gunas, but such sathgunas ''
But such sathgunas were not to be found in any single person, and a combination of five persons can only obtain for you the said sathgunas and so you became the wife of Pandavas possessing the sathgunas you sought as the boon from Lord Shiva’’
Draupathi when she learnt this secret from Krishna was completely flabbergasted.
Another incident connected with Draupathi in Mahabharath is interesting which you have to be told now.
When Pandavas made their big beautiful palace in Indraprastham specially constructed by the heavenly sculptor Mayan, under instructions from Krishna, they celebrated the housewarming ceremony by throwing a grand feast to many invitees. The Kauravas led by Dhuryodhana too attended the celebrations and Dhuryodhana could ontrol his envy and jealousy against the Pandavas.
Dhuryodhana was dumbfounded by the innovative designing of the palace and went around the entire palace part by part. He came across a huge hall inside the palace which appeared like a crystal clear swimming pool with clean still waters and so he avoided stepping into the water and selected another big pathway which was a black marble laid walking area. He and his brothers walked towards that area to cross the water pool. Everyone was observing them. When Dhuryodhana stepped on the black marble area he fell into a deep pond which looked like a marble stone floor. His brothers too followed him in falling into the pond. Draupathi was on the balcony watching all these and she joined lothers in laughing at the fall of the Kaurava prince and his brothers. Dhuryodhana walked out of the pool completely wet and was given alternative dresses by Pandavas. He marvelled at the deceptive look of the design and construction but could not forget the insult he suffered. Particularly he was angry when he saw Draupathi enjoying a hearty laugh at his fall. It was a permanent scar in his mind against her and the Pandavas adding to his enmity towards them.
Later this enmity and jealousy in Dhuryodhana grew bigger and manifested in the form of a scheme he devised with the help of his evil uncle Sakuni in cheating and defeating the Pandavas robbing their kingdom also rendering them slaves and nomads.
He waited for many years sleeplessly to laugh heartily when Pandavas were declared slaves and banished and the laugher echoed what Draupathi laughed when he fell into the pool of water at Indraprastham long ago.!
So when the Pandavas lost everything in the dice game they played against the evil Sakuni, and were declared utterly defeated with nothing in their possession, even after losing Draupathi, their wife, who too was pledged and lost , Dhuryodhana loudly commanded his brother
‘’Duschadhan go straighaway to Indraprastham, and bring that proud Dhraupadhi here immediately, who is our slave. If she refused to go with you, drag her her using pressure and force’’
Draupadhi was with a single cloth covering her when Duschadhana suddenlyentered the palace without any notice, and demanded her accompanying him to Hasthinapuram. She refused and pleaded him to leave her there. But the cruel Duschadhana dragged her by catching hold of her hair and pushed her before Duryodhana in the crowded Court of Duryodhana. Draupadhi pleaded and appealed to him not to involve her and disrespect her. But nothing entered ino the ears of the cruel king. She appealed to everyone in the court to support and save her modesty. Every was a stone figure silent and shocked at what was happening.
‘’Duschadhana disrobe these Pandava slaves and remove their ornaments and apparels, let them be semi nude beggars and slaves to us. Pandavas silenly yielded to his command as they lost everything.
‘’Now disrobe this arrogant woman Draupadhi also. Let her be nude and put to shame in front of all of us’’ Draupadhi cried helplessly and appealed to her mighty husbands who were silent and could do nothing to save or help her and thir eyes shed tears born of their fate and helpless condition.
‘’Duschadhan came to Draupadhi and began pulling away from her waist, her only cloth covering her body and Draupadhi was crying loud and her only refuge then was to appeal to Krishna like a wounded helpless cow, ‘’Hare Krishna, Dheenabhandhu, Aaapathbhandhavaa, Anaadha rakshakaa’’ She folded her hands in complete faith and trust in him only and succumbed to Duschadhan’s force to remove her only piece of cloth protecting her modesty.
Krishna was talking with Rukmini when he heard the appeal faintly from a long distance and during their conversation he abruptly stopped it suddenly became a statue looking blank somewhere and raised his right palm in that direction.
Rukmini was surprised at Krishna’s sudden change in attitude and addressed |’’Swami, what happened, Why……?’’ She noticed his concentration somewhere and stopped disturbing him.
Draupathi saw all of a sudden Krishna’s Abhaya hastham and she had almost fainted and becoming unconscious. But Duschaadhan was busy removing her cloth and he could not remove it from her waist. It looked a single piece of cloth but was endless and the more he pulled it the longer it grew around her waist.
The strong Duschadhan was relentless and began pulling it fast and hard and the cloth seemed to be testing his patience and strength. It kept on coming out of Draupathi’s waist and Duschadhan was fightint with it until his shoulders and hands began paining him and he fell down exhausted amidst the huge cloth mountain he removed from her.
Draupathi was saved by Krishna and she vowed there in presence of all that the hair pulled by Duschadhan will not be again tied into a knot by her until she got his blood to be used as the hair oil or her to again tie a knot on her head.
This ultimately was done when Bheema killed Duschadhana and his blood was brought to her to apply to her hair to tie it into a knot .
Dear children, if any of you know tamil I would strongly recommend you to read or ask someone to read for you the PANCHALI SABATHAM , a great poem written by Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi, which I read many times and enjoyed the powerful writing of Bharathi in describing the above vow of Draupadhi.
In the meantime, the news spread to the harem and palace room of the blind old king Dhritharashtra and his wife Gandhaari. They both rushed to the court hall to ensure Draupathi was restored to the palace queens’room.
Pandavas and Draupathi were banished for 12 years to live in forest and to live one year incognito. You will be reading about these in the coming stories in bits and pieces suiting the need and situation in our short stories.
Dear children, what you should not fail to understand from this story is Krishna is ever ready to come to our rescue if we pray to him whole hearted with faith in him. His very name suggests that he is the friend of those who are helpless, diretionless, a source of protection in dire need. In tamil there is a name for Krishna as KANNAN ( THE EYE MAN’’ - what does it mean? He has his eyes always open and steadily looking at everything and everone, round the clock, to rush to our need and to help us’’ Do we remember this and do we appeal to him, and do we thankfully think of him?