‘There will be blame. There will be curses. We might have to grovel before the undeserving and spend aeons trying to convince them to start afresh. It takes a warrior to fight till the end. But it takes a true leader to convince people for a new beginning. You alone can do it. Bharatavarsha needs you, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira.’
Conclusion
Into the Future
‘Iremember the day of the coronation, Janamejaya,’ Uttara’s tone had paled into a whisper, heavy with the myriad emotions that she alone was aware of. ‘Bereft of any festivity that the sons of Pandu truly deserved, amidst hushed decrying by those they considered their own, Emperor Yudhishtira was crowned. He took the responsibility of the land that almost despised him for the war, driven by the inspiration that Mother Draupadi was an embodiment of. It indeed takes a true empress to see hope after the gruesome end of countless lines of Kshatriya clans.
‘I remember the day your father, Parikshit, was born. The midwives pronounced him a stillborn and the entire family was heartbroken. It was only Mother Draupadi who kept her faith and mine as Uncle Krishna resuscitated him.
‘And I remember the day they all left, never to return. The three and half decades of their committed reign had transformed the empire again. Like they had transformed the once dreaded wilderness of Khandava into the magnificent Indraprastha,’ Uttara leaned against the wooden backrest of her seat. ‘Her ichhashakti, or driving desire; Uncle Krishna’s jnanashakti, the power of wisdom; and the Pandavas’ kriyashakti, the will to see her vision take shape in reality—the triad—is something that would remain unique in all the ages to come. I pity those petty minds who blame her for the war.’
Seated on the floor by her feet, Janamejaya kept staring into Uttara’s lost eyes. A cool breeze blew, signalling the sunset. One of the attendants of the rest house stepped in to light the earthen lamps. ‘Grandmother.’ He gently patted her knee. ‘She was indeed a true empress. Any other woman in her place would have weakened and our history would not have been the immortal tale that will survive the test of time.’
‘She was a walking challenge to the regressive forces that subverted the code of dharma to suit their narrow means and ends,’ Uttara smiled, setting her greying locks right.
I still miss her loving touch when she combed my hair. She did that until the day she left for the forests, never to return.
Only Uttara knew what it meant to be a daughter to the unforgettable empress. Her tale threw up a new facet of hers every time she remembered it. For the good of the empire, she hoped that the knowledge of this timeless tale would disseminate before any mischievous distorting forces took over.
At least, the look on the face of the new emperor, the great-grandson of Arjuna, spoke of a determination that set her mind at ease.
Acknowledgements
Presenting an immortal tale like Mahabharata cannot but need many hands to shape it. It has been a great experience working with the team at Rupa Publications. I thank the commissioning editors, Shambhu Sahu and Rudra Sharma, for their continuing support. Aparna Kumar has been a great editor and it was a pleasure discussing Mahabharata with her as we progressed with the editing of the manuscript. I am grateful to Mugdha Sadhwani for the impressive work on the cover.
I am fortunate to have parents like Usha Krishna Swamy and Krishna Swamy Kumar who have brought me closer to the ancient knowledge of India since childhood. The opportunity to write Draupadi knocked at my door when I was on the threshold of motherhood. Writing this manuscript would not have been possible without the love, care and support of my mother. She was my inspiration, my hustler, my babysitter, my reader with unique inputs, and much more. My father Sri Krishna Swamy Kumar has been a pillar of support, ensuring I got the best ambience to write this manuscript. My husband Arvind Iyer believed in my writing even when I lost belief in myself.
Dear daughter Abhirami, thanks for those punctual naps that gave me the much-needed time to write!
I owe a major part of my writing career to the support extended by Indic Academy, founded by Harikiran Vadalamani. I am grateful for the insightful interactions with the members of Indic Academy, including scholars, senior authors, editors, reviewers, bloggers and some great friends.
I am grateful to each of my readers and friends who motivate me, promote me on social media, and are now an inseparable part of my life.
Finally, I thank my Ishta Devata, Krishna Vasudeva, for powering me through this storytelling journey. It is hard to imagine writing a story without him. I pray that he fills joy in the life of every reader who reads the book.
References and Inspiration
—The Mahabharata, translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli.
—The Mahabharata: Critical edition, translated by Dr Bibek Debroy, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.
—Andhra Mahabharatamu and Andhra Mahabhagavatam : Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam editions.
—Krishna Charitra by Bankim Chandra Chaterjee, translated by Alo Shome.
—Krishnavatara by K.M. Munshi, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
—Parva by S. L. Bhyrappa.
—Krishna, the Man and His Philosophy by Osho, Jaico Publishing House.
—Talks and discourses on Draupadi, Krishna and the Mahabharata by various gurus and scholars including:
Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba
Brahmasri Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma
Brahmasri Garikipati Narasimha Rao
Swami Chinmayananda
Brahmasri Chaganti Koteshwara Rao
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Introduction
Prologue
PART I: PRINCESS OF PANCHALA
1. The Banishment
2. The Defeat
3. Drona and Drupada
4. The Fire Pledge
5. Drupada and Jarasandha
6. Rukmini
7. Krishna, the Friend
8. House on Fire
9. Swayamvara
PART II: QUEEN OF INDRAPRASTHA
10. Kunti
11. The Wedding
12. Khandava Prastha
13. Bhima
14. The Takshaka Menace
15. Indraprastha
16. Jarasandha and Krishna
17. Rajasuya
18. Krishna’s Farewell
19. Yudhishtira’s Fear
PART III: THE EMPRESS
20. The Game of Dice
21. Court Scene I
22. Court Scene II
23. Nakula and Draupadi
24. Meeting in the Forest
25. Journey to the Himalayas
26. Duryodhana’s Ghoshayatra
27. Jayadrata
28. Farewell to Dvaitavana
29. Yaksha Prashna
30. Agnatavasa
31. Matsya
32. Keechaka
33. Killing of Keechaka
PART IV: WAR
34. Peace at What Cost?
35. Night Before the War
36. Bhishma’s Secret
37. Dushasana’s End
38. Uttara is Pregnant
39. Victory at What Cost?
40. Empress Again
Conclusion: Into the Future
Acknowledgements
References and Inspiration
Draupadi- the Tale of an Empress Page 24