Week 7 Story: A Fire Begins to Grow

It only takes a small spark to start a blazing fire. 

A picturesque woman has experienced another traumatic incident. She is embarrassed and ashamed of what has happened to her. She tried to warn others for help, but no one came to her rescue. She attempts to hide from the world's prying eyes. Beneath the covers and her bed sheets solemnly crying. Suddenly a fire of courage begins to grow inside her heart. 

"No longer will I hope that my husbands will protect me and keep me safe! First, I was wagered and lost to their hateful cousin Duryodhana. Then royal men of noble birth stood by as my clothes were attempted to be torn off my body. All while my husbands' heads were hung down in shame and they did nothing to stop the monstrosity. Yudhistira was born through the god Yama. Arjuna was born through the god Indra. Bhima was born through the god Vayu. Nakula and Sahadeva were born through the god Aswins. All of my husbands possess talents and strengths from their lineage that other warriors will never have yet use none of it to save me. I tried to be a good wife. I went into banishment with them for twelve years. I then became a Sairandhari and worked in Virata's woman's chambers for a year. My husbands were warned about taking care of me when we were in Virata's kingdom but did they? NO. That is why Kichakak assaulted me. He knew that no one would protect me. He probably laughed when the Queen said I had five Gandharvas who would watch over me if he attempted anything. I can longer put my safety in the hands of these men. How can I consider these cowardice men my husbands? They do not protect me, and they do not fulfill their vows that we took when we were married. I must be in charge of my fate now! No man from this day forward will be expected to save me. I will not need to be safeguarded but take matters into my own hands. First, I will begin by taking care of Kichakak. He has been the fuel to feed the fire inside my heart and grow it into a malevolent wrath. But the first spark was created by Duryodhana and he will fill the final heat from me when he perishes. Tonight, will be the last night I cry.”
 

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Author’s Notes: In the story of The Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan, Draupadi is the wife of the five Pandavas brothers Yudhistira, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva all born from gods. But after two different incidents where Draupadi is treated maliciously by other men. Her husbands, in my opinion, do little to protect her. All of the Pandavas brothers are born from gods and are assumed to be extraordinary warriors but they fail to be a warrior and protect their wife. This story is an inner monologue that Draupadi has after she is assa

ulted by Kichaka. She has gone through a lot being married to the Pandava brothers and I envisioned her as a strong woman. So, instead of being the proper Indian wife, passive and polite, running to the men for help. Draupadi gets angry and becomes revengeful towards the two men who harmed her. While she is also angry with her husbands for not helping, she has just become cold towards them and no longer relies on them for protection. In the orginal story when Kichakak assaults Draupadi, Bhima does come in after the fact and kill Kichakak to avenge Draupadi. This gave me idea to change the ending to have the reader think that Draupadi was going to be the one to go kill Kichakak and then her next target would be Duryodhana.

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Image: Fire. Source: Wikipedia by Awesomoman 

Reading Notes: Reading B: The Mahabharata p. 133 - 179

War is Inevitable. 

I finished reading The Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan pages 133 to 179. First, I was delighted to read Draupadi admit, out loud, that her husbands have abandoned her, it reiterates what I already thought in the previous reading notes, Reading A: The Mahabharata pages 83 to 132. She then asks Krishna for help, could this maybe be the reason Bhima helped her in the previous story? Maybe Krishna played a hand in Bhima avenge Draupadi since he did not fulfill his promise to protect her. However, Bhima is the only brothers that want an avenges Draupadi in the war against the Kauravas. Even though the brothers share Draupadi as their wife, it seems to me that Bhima cares the most for her.  In the time before there war, there are two parts where the mothers try to help their sons but neither listen. Gandhari (Duryodhana's mother) and Kunthi (Karna's mother) both try to persuade the boys to stop the quarrel between the Kauravas clan and the Pandavas brothers. When neither will listen, they expect the boy's fate that they will soon die in the war. I think this is a very touching moment for the woman that they share in common and could be created into a story. Since they have lived together in the same court, they must be close friends and could look to each other for comfort in the impending war that will result in the loss of their sons. I enjoyed how the book ended with the Pandavas winning the war but not being happy with what they gained in the kingdom. Early in the reading, I think a significant line by Yudhishthira about war should be taught in history classes.

"The waves of violence never cease. Victory creates animosity; hostilities lie dormant but continue. Even if there is one baby left in the other camp, it will retain a small smoldering ember of hate, which could kindle later conflagration. To prevent this, it is considered necessary to exterminate the opposite camp totally." Page 133.  

This line explains so much about how war continues to happen. This quote from The Mahabharata made me think of Germany's leader Hitler that started World War II. He was angry at what happened in World War I and came back for vengeance when he could.  Teaching our children about the past can help them not repeat it in the future but I do not feel that this philosophy has been taught or acknowledged to students (at least in America).

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Image: Soliders in the field in World War II. Source: Wikimedia Commons by Franz Peter Weixter  

Reading Notes: Reading A: The Mahabharata p. 83-132

How can she trust her husbands?

I continued reading The Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan pages 83 to 132. In these pages I was able to make many notes about different stories that could be created, but I will try to limit it down to my two favorites. However, I want to mention that when the Pandavas brothers go into hiding in King Virata court each of them chooses a specific profession to be and hide out in for the last year of their banishment. I am sure different stories could be created for each brother explaining what they did during this year and how they managed to survive as servants in a court instead of Kings. Also, I have one question about the bothers banishment, Arjuna reveals himself to the prince and to his uncle, cousins and teacher before the time limit is up. Doesn't that mean that the brothers were meant to be banished for another 12 years? I reread the part in the book multiple times but could not find an explanation for why the brothers were not supposed to be banished for another 12 years. If anyone can point out what I missed please comment and let me know, it is bugging me. Now to the stories I would like to create for this reading. The first possible story that could be created would be between Yudhishthira when he encounters his father. Yudhishthira does not realize that he has encountered his father at the holy pond and the yaksha is his father Yama in disguise. He just answers all of the questions so that have a drink of water and hopefully save his brothers. I thought that this moment lacked some important father-son bonding experience. Instead of Yama just bestowing a boon to the brothers I think he should talk with Yudhishthira and let me know that he has been watching him as he as grown up. The next story I could create would be about Draupadi not fully trusting in her husbands to protect while they are in King Virata court. First the brothers are warned to keep a close eye of Draupadi and keep her hidden and safe foretelling that something would happen to her but the brothers did nothing to prevent or help her when it occurred. In all fairness the Pandavas brothers did not do anything to protect her when Duryodhana was cruel to her in the dice game before. I do not think it is right for her to have such faith in her husbands who keep disappointing her and not protecting her. I want to recreate the story where she takes her safety into her own hands, not hoping that one of her husbands will help her out.

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Image: Rosie the Riveter (strong woman). Source: pixabay by Prawny