Hari Aum.
In previous posts, I have mentioned that there are five main bhavas or emotions that one can direct towards the personal aspect of God to cultivate a relationship with Him/Her. This is a vital aspect of the path of bhakti yoga, the spiritual path of devotion to the Divine. We may have more than one bhava towards God but one may be the primary feeling.
The five bhavas towards God are:
i) Dasya - feeling one is a servant of the Divine. This is an important bhava for all seekers to cultivate as it helps to subjugate one's will before the Will of God. This is crucial in helping us come out of the clutches of the lower mind/ego.
Regardless of cultivation of the other bhavas, this one is essential in my view, particularly at the start of spiritual life, and it remains important until the end, until one attains God). (Note: A devotee cultivating dasya bhava towards the Divine, and seeing Him/Her in all beings and things, cannot feel superior towards other creatures in any way for any reason, whether spiritual or material).
An example is Lord Hanuman (avatar of Lord Shiva) who served Lord Rama.
ii) Vatsalya- feeling that the Divine is one's beloved child. The feeling of parents towards children is often one of intense love and sacrifice. This bhava is therefore a powerful one to cultivate. It comes naturally to those who love to nurture and care for others, especially children.
An example is Yasodha, the mother of Lord Krishna. She developed strong and unwavering devotion to God through her intense love for Krishna (avatar of Lord Narayana), whom she raised as her own child.
iii) Shanta: a feeling of peaceful love and contemplation of the Divine. An example is King Janaka, the father of Mother Sita. He was a king and Self-realised soul who ruled his kingdom as an instrument of the Divine.
iv) Sakha: a feeling of friendship towards the Divine. Here one feels that one's ishta devata is a dear friend. Just as with human friends, one feels able to talk freely with Him/Her. One experiences the usual ups and downs of friendship with the Divine (just as one would with a human friend).
Prince Arjuna, and His wife Draupadi, has this bhava towards Lord Krishna. I will come back to Draupadi and sakha bhava further in this post (this is the main topic of this post).
v) Madhurya: a feeling that the Divine is one's beloved. The gopis (cowherd women) of Vraja had this feeling towards Lord Krishna. They developed intense love and remembrance of Him as a result and attained Him.
Let us now return to Queen Draupadi and sakha bhava and study this a bit further.
Before we delve further into this bhava, let us briefly discuss the background of Queen Draupadi. We will then look at a key episode in her life where her sakha bhava towards Lord Krishna was particularly important. Her life contains useful teachings for spiritual seekers, particularly those of us who cultivate the sakha bhava or feeling of friendship towards the Divine.
The life of Queen Draupadi is described in the great epic known as the Mahabharata (modern historians say this was written around 2000 years ago but the yogis describe it as a historical spiritual text that describes events that took place during the avatar of Lord Krishna around 5000 years ago. It is said to have been composed by sage Vyasa around that time and was originally written down by Lord Ganesha).
King Drupada, the father of Draupadi, and ruler of the land of Panchala (modern day Uttar Pradesh in North India) conducted a sacred fire ritual (homam) to pray to the Divine for children. As a result, he was blessed with a pair of divine twins who emerged fully grown from the flames. Both of them played an important role in assisting Lord Krishna in establishing dharma (or righteousness) upon Earth.
The first of these was a handsome young man, a warrior prince, who emerged wielding a sword and shield. He would be known as Drishtadyumna (his name means one who is courageous /' drishta', and glorious /'dyumna').
His sister, who came to be known as Draupadi (daughter of Drupada), was similar to her brother in many ways. She too had a celestial beauty and great courage. She is described as appearing like a blue lotus, dark in hue, with dark eyes and long beautiful hair.
They had a fiery temperament and were fierce when it came to fighting for justice.
Drishtadyumna excelled as a warrior and played a vital role in the great battle of Kurukshetra (that led to the destruction of the wicked Kauravas). He fought on the side of the Pandavas and Lord Krishna and was instrumental in the victory of good over evil.
His sister, Draupadi, was fated to play a crucial role in causing the great war to take place. Her relationship as a close friend of Lord Krishna was the core feature of her life.
She was married to Prince Arjuna, the Pandava prince and dear cousin of Krishna. (Krishna played a key role in enabling them to marry by helping Arjuna to attend her svayamvara, or groom selection ceremony). Arjuna passed an extraordinarily difficult test at archery to win her hand. The other princes who were present were furious at this and attacked him but Krishna helped to calm them down. This was her first encounter with Krishna and the beginning of a close friendship.
Although Draupadi loved Arjuna and wanted to marry him alone, by a strange twist of fate, she was compelled to marry him along with his four brothers (polyandry was strictly forbidden at the time but, in this case, an exception had to be made! However, not everyone approved of Draupadi's marriage to the five Pandava princes as we will see).
The evil-minded Kaurava prince, Duryodhana, had also desired to marry Draupadi due to her beauty and position as daughter of the powerful King of Panchala. He was unsuccessful at passing the archery test set by King Drupada and could not win her hand. Filled with rage and jealousy, he plotted and schemed to humiliate the Pandavas along with their wife, Draupadi. This brings us to the game of dice, a key turning point in the Mahabharata.
King Yudhishthira, the eldest amongst the five Pandava brothers was a noble and just ruler. However, he had one weakness-- a love for gambling. This weakness was fully exploited by his enemies, the Kauravas, and led to his downfall.
The maternal uncle of Duryodhana, the wily Shakuni, possessed an unusual set of dice. The dice were infused with the spirit of his own deceased father and obeyed his every command.
Shakuni and Duryodhana plotted to deprive Yudhishthira of everything he had in life by inviting him to a gambling game using this unique set of dice. Upon receiving the apparently friendly invitation, Yudhishthira arrived at the palace of Duryodhana, accompanied by his brothers, his wife and entourage.
They began by staking relatively small things-- horses, elephants and gold. The dice always favoured Shakuni, and Yudhishthira lost every round they played. Then, the stakes grew higher-- the entire army and large portions of land. Eventually, the Pandava King realised that he had staked and lost all his land and property.
By now, his mind was gripped with an obsessive desire to gamble; this was in great part due to the influence of the spirit of the dice. He was intoxicated by the game and could not find it in himself to stop. He was convinced that it was only a matter of time before luck would turn in his favour. However, with the false dice, this was impossible.
When Shakuni saw Yudhishthira gripped with despair when he realised how much he had lost, he smiled slyly. He then helpfully told the King that he still had his brothers. He could stake them one by one! If he won a single throw, he would win back everything that he had lost until then. Shakuni urged him to continue saying that he may still be able to win.
Yudhishthira was unable to resist. He staked and lost each of his four brothers one by one (they were completely aghast at their brother's conduct; a brother who was famous for adherence to dharma at all costs. However, they were not permitted to interfere in the game in accordance with the kshatriya/warrior code of conduct).
Finally, seeing Yudhishthira sunk in utter despair, Shakuni suggested that he may as well stake himself-- he had lost everything by now anyway! The Pandava King, feeling numb, nodded and agreed. He promptly lost of course.
At this, Duryodhana's heart leapt with joy. He could not believe it! His cousins, the Pandavas, who had always been praised by one and all for their virtue, their courage, their skill at war-- who had been regarded as better at everything compared with himself and his Kaurava brothers-- humiliated! Defeated!
And so easily-- just with a simple game of dice! Not a drop of blood had been shed, no war had been required to deprive them of everything! It was unbelievable, extraordinary! Ecstatic with joy, he and his brothers laughed and congratulated each other.
Meanwhile, the Pandava brothers remained silent and in a state of complete shock, as they digested the events that had occurred. As they did so, they received a further suggestion from the Kaurava side.
Why not stake Queen Draupadi? As their wife, she was their possession, and they had every right to gamble her! Perhaps she would be their lucky charm, the one who would turn their entire fortune around!
She was their last hope, said Shakuni smiling. If they staked her and won, they would get back their entire lost wealth, kingdom and their own freedom, he said.
At this suggestion, there was a stunned silence in the courtroom. All those with a conscience could not believe their ears. Stake the Queen! It was unthinkable madness. It was completely unrighteous. Under no circumstances, should such an act be done, they thought.
But, by now, King Yudhishthira, had lost all reason. Filled with intense agony and deep despair at his actions--which had involved handing over the care of his beloved kingdom to the evil-minded Kauravas, and the enslavement of his brothers and himself-- he clung desperately to the faint hope that just one more throw of the dice might save him.
He therefore agreed to stake his wife, Queen Draupadi. At this there was an outcry in the palace but Shakuni and Duryodhana silenced everyone. It was time for the final stake!
The result of the final stake was, of course, predictable. The dice were thrown in turn, and Shakuni spoke the familiar words—“I have won!”.
After losing everything, including Draupadi, Yudhishthira seemed to be a daze. He could barely register the mocking laugher of the Kauravas. He could hardly hear the lamenting of the courtiers and citizens as they grieved over the folly of these events. He seemed lost in his own world.
Duryodhana, on other hand, was over the moon. He felt as though he was the lord of the entire earth. The supreme ruler, the greatest king! He had attained all there was to attain!
He looked scornfully at the Pandavas-- his servants, his slaves! He could treat them with the contempt that they so richly deserved!
He decided to humiliate them in public-- that would be entertaining! With this in mind, he ordered them, as his servants, to remove their upper garments and was delighted when they silently obeyed.
It was simply wonderful, beyond his wildest dreams! His thoughts now turned to their wife, Queen Draupadi. The fiery Queen who had spurned his advances in the past was not a favourite. It was time to show her her new place-- at his feet, or indeed, on his thigh, he thought.
Filled with vile thoughts, he turned to Dushasana and ordered that the Queen be brought before him. His brother was told to go to the women's chambers and summon Draupadi. If she resisted, said Duryodhana, his brother should not hesitate to use force. She was no more than a servant now, and they were free to do as they pleased with her.
Dushasana now hastened to the women's chambers to fulfill his brother's command. Draupadi was filled with shock and disbelief upon hearing of the outcome of the game of dice. When Dushasana told her, that her husband had played and lost, not only his entire kingdom, his brothers and himself, but also her, she was unable to believe her ears.
Her presence was required in the courtroom at once, by order of her new master, said Dushasana gleefully. She had no choice but to obey, he said.
Filled with intense grief and fury, Draupadi rejected this order. She did not accept any of this nonsense, she said. She was not a possession to be played and won or lost in a game of dice! What utter rubbish, she said. Who, in their right mind, would stake their wife in a game!
Upon hearing this, Dushasana, who had been enjoying Draupadi's grief, was filled with rage. Advancing threateningly upon her, he reached out and grasped her long hair with his hands. As she protested, he tugged at her hair and forcibly dragged her into the courtroom-- in front of everyone.
As these events took place, time itself seemed to stand still. All dharma appeared to have fled in shame.
The Queen was cast upon the ground, while her five husbands, sons of the demi-gods, filled with celestial power, remained silent. The royal elders, the courtiers, the citizens were all frozen in shock upon seeing this event.
There was then a great uproar in the palace. Everyone began to argue and debate upon the rights and wrongs of what had occurred. Some was in favour of the Kauravas saying they had played and won fairly. Others were in favour of the Pandavas, declaring that they had been treated unfairly by their evil-minded cousins.
In the midst of all this chaos stood Draupadi. She then raised her voice to ask a question and courtroom fell silent to hear her words.
Facing Yudhishthira, her voice shaking with pain and rage, she asked her husband: "Whom did you lose first-- yourself or me?"
"If you lost yourself first, as a slave, you no longer had any rights, including over me! You had no right to stake me! I am a free woman!"
There was then an intense debate upon the laws of the land and their interpretation in the circumstances.
Queen Draupadi made the argument that, as Yudhishthira had already lost himself when he had staked her, he no longer had any rights left over her or anyone else. His stake was therefore invalid and she remained free.
However, others stated that this was not true. A man always had a right over his wife, they argued, regardless of whether or not he was a slave. His rights as a man superseded his status as a slave.
After some minutes of feverish arguments on both sides, Duryodhana became infuriated. It was time to show his authority as supreme ruler, and show the Pandavas and Draupadi their station! He had no time to waste on useless legal arguments!
He therefore loudly addressed his brother Dushasana: "Draupadi is our servant now!", he said. "Like the Pandavas, let her too be disrobed. Divest her of her garment!"
Dharma had long fled the courtroom, and now only adharma after adharma unfolded.
This was a moment so extraordinary, so appalling, so utterly vile, that time itself seemed to stop. The planets seemed to pause in their orbits. Destiny hung in the balance.
The Kauravas had made their choice-- and it was adharma. The consequences would surely follow in good time-- but for now, Draupadi was seemingly all alone, without anyone to come to her aid.
She looked at her husbands-- first at Yudhishthira, the embodiment of virtue, but he was silent. She looked at the mighty Bhima (who was trembling with rage on her behalf) but he was silent.
She gazed pleadingly at Arjuna, who wielded the divine bow, the Gandiva-- but he too was silent. In desperation, she looked at the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, but they too were silent. Her five valorous husbands, sons of the devas, were sunk in misery and utterly silent. They could not even look her in the eye.
The royal elders were silent. The courtiers were silent. The public was silent. Not a word was now spoken in her favour. Not a finger was lifted to help her.
Seeing her utter despair and misery, Duryodhana's joy increased a thousandfold. Dushasana then began his task to remove the clothes of the Queen in public, an event that had never before taken place in the land.
As he grasped the long cloth that was draped over the person of Draupadi and began to try to remove it, she resisted with all her might.
Draupadi was now faced with a deeply unpleasant realisation. She was truly all alone. The court was full of watching people and not one of them was willing or able to help her.
Born from a divine fire, blessed with celestial beauty, a sharp intellect and great virtue, belonging to a wealthy and noble family-- all of this had come to naught. None of these was of any use in her time of greatest need.
At this moment, she remembered a dear friend-- Krishna. She had much greater wit and wisdom than her husband (it is said that Yudhishthira had lost the game of dice because he forgot to invoke Krishna before playing. Had he done so, the delusive spell cast by the dice of Shakuni, would have been broken).
"O Krishna! O Yadava! O Govinda!", she cried. "Can You not see what is happening?! I am being assaulted by the Kauravas! Please come to my aid! Save me from this predicament! Protect my dignity!"
Draupadi made this request with all her heart and soul, and with the firm conviction that it was Krishna alone who could help her.
And those of us who know the story, know full well that she was quite right. It was He alone who helped her.
At the time of this event, Krishna was at Dwaraka, preoccupied with defending His people and kingdom from an attack by an evil-minded King. He would later meet and console Draupadi in person.
But, for now, He provided her a miracle.
As the courtroom watched, yards and yards of cloth of various shades were removed from Draupadi's person. However, there was no sign of her being even slightly disrobed. Dushasana, perspiring heavily, continued to pull and tug, and tug and pull, but to no avail.
Surrounded by great swathes of silken cloth, protected by Krishna's grace, Draupadi remained fully clothed in the courtroom.
The court realised that they were witnessing nothing short of a miracle, that the Divine had responded to Queen Draupadi's plea for help.
Continued in the next post.......
Om Namo Narayanaya.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
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