Episode 37

Unsavory game- unanswered questions

(The defeat of Pandavas in the game of dice) [i]

This is one of the most popular stories of Maha Bharata which laid the foundation for the great Maha Bharata war. The diabolic and despicable nature of the game played with deceit is wide visible before the eyes of the reader. The vows of Bhima to avenge the insults of dragging Draupadi to the court, the blessings of Sri Krishna, the boons bestowed by Dhritarashtra and above all the dignity with which Draupadi behaved in adversity are the part of this story. Apart from the story part, we find a clash between law and logic; sushma dharma and sthula dharma; pratyaksha dharma and rahasya dharma and so on. The most often quoted verses of Maha Bharata are woven in the story by sage Veda Vyasa.

The Story

Pandavas reached the palace of Toraṇa sphāṭikam, a special palace built specially for the game of dice. The palace was packed with celebrities of all kinds to witness the game. It was Sakuni who took the lead and invited Dharmaraja to the dais. Dharmaraja was hesitant to participate, He told, ‘By nature the game is dubious and fraud. It is sinful and there is no scope for exhibiting Kshatriya valor. There is no prescribed ethical rule for this game. Why are you inviting for this game?’[ii]

‘Hi, Yudhishtir! We will not be the sinners. It is common knowledge that the intelligent person reaches a foolish person just to win the argument. An expert in archery reaches a non-professional to win the battle. When I reach you to win the game of dice, my intention is to take victory. If you feel it is obnoxious and if you fear playing the game, you can leave the place’, Sakuni incited Dharmaraja.

Having come to the place on the orders of Dhritarashtra, Youdhishtir could not go back. He wanted to know with whom he had to play the game. Duryodhana told that Sakuni would play on behalf of Kauravas and Duryodhana would be putting all bets. ‘I feel that one person playing on behalf of other person is obnoxious’, Yudhishtira again told, but agreed to play the game.

The Game of dice

The game started slowly with small bets but picked up momentum with huge bets, with Sakuni continuously winning all the bets. Dharmaraja lost his ornaments, his golden chariot, his treasury, his elephants, camels, soldiers, and all the wealth that was acquired by valor in the Rajasuya.

The mood was tensed, and everyone was anxious to watch the immediate next step. Sensing that the game was slipping out of hands, Vidura came forwarded to warn Dhritarashtra. ‘Hi, king! The pace of the game is not on a friendly note. It is going out of boundaries. It is forecasting ominous overtones. In the winning spree, Duryodhana is not forecasting the future doom. He is blind to the reality that he is creating his own enemies. He is a fox in your house. Hi, Maharaj! It the right time to exile him.

त्यजेत् कुलार्थे पुरुषं ग्रामस्यार्थे कुलं त्यजेत्

ग्रामं जनपदस्यार्थे आत्मार्थे पृथिवीम् त्यजेत् [iii]

‘One should reject an individual for the sake of family; a family has to be rejected for the sake of village; for the sake of the clan, a village has to be rejected; and for the sake of protecting the Self, one should abandon the entire earth’.

‘Oh, Maharaj! Discard this Duryodhana from this place. Do not invite troubles in future. Pandavas are wealth and take them to confidence. What if you win over their physical wealth after losing them?’. At this stage Duryodhana blasted Vidura and badly abused him.

Dharmaraja lost the empire

Dhritarashtra heard Vidura but kept quiet. He was not willing to interfere in the ongoing game. Dharmaraja put his entire kingdom for a bet and lost it in fraction of seconds. Then he put Nakula as a bet and lost him. Then he lost Sahadeva, Arjuna and Bhima also. In no time all the brothers became the slaves of Duryodhana. Then Sakuni was demanding whether he had anything left to continue the game. Dharmaraja was prepared to lay himself as a bet and Sakuni won the game. Dharmaraja became the slave of Duryodhana.

Sakuni told, ‘Hi, Yudhishtir, you committed a sin by losing your own self even though you had some other wealth’ ‘What you have not lost so far is one more object and that is your wife, Draupadi. You have one more chance of winning back all wealth and kingdom that was lost by putting her as a bet’.

It was a difficult decision for Dharmaraja; yet he relented and put Draupadi as a bet. There was a commotion all around. All the kings were saying ‘oh’, ‘oh’ with one voice. Bhishma and Drona got perplexed and could not able to talk. Unable to control his happiness, Dhritarashtra was shouting aloud, ‘have we won’? ‘have we won’? Sakuni’s dexterous and dubious play doomed the fate of Pandavas and Draupadi was the slave of Kauravas.

Calling Vidura, Duryodhana ordered, ‘Hi, Vidur! Come here. Go and bring Draupadi immediately. She must clean the harem and stay in servant quarters’ [iv]. Vidura was enraged with anger. He warned Duryodhana not to incite the Pandavas. ‘Draupadi cannot be a slave since Yudhishitar put her as bet after losing himself’ [v]. ‘Further you are playing with the ego of powerful persons upon earth. You are not visualizing the imminent war and your complete destruction’.

Duryodhana did not care Vidura. He ordered his orderly to get Draupadi to the court. Draupadi was with Gandhari in her palace. On hearing the words of the servant, Draupadi told, ‘What nonsense you are talking? Is there any king who puts his wife as bet in the game of dice? Whether Yudhishitir has gone mad? Does he not possesses any other object for betting?’

‘Oh! Queen, Dharmaraja lost his kingdom and his brothers. Then he put himself for the bet and finally he lost you in the game’.

Draupadi thought for a while asked, ‘You go and ask the king one question- Have you first become slave and then lost me in the bet; or have you lost me first and then you became slave later. I can come to the court after knowing the answer’.  

Dharmaraja heard the question from the servant. He was aghast. He had no answer. Duryodhana was impatient and he ordered the servant to bring her first to the court so that she can ask the question in the court only. But Draupadi was not relenting. She wanted to know whether her slavery was on the foundation of dharma or adharma. She wanted the answer from the elders in the court. If they so decide, she was willing to come to the court’.

Draupadi was dragged to the court

All elders were petrified and speechless. As the servant was hesitant to follow the orders of Duryodhana, he ordered Dussasana to bring Draupadi to the court. Dussasana reached Draupadi and with a wicked voiced yelled out, Hi, Draupadi! We have won you in the game of dice. Don’t shy at looking Duryodhana. He is your master and you are her slave’ [vi]. Draupadi was helpless. She ran towards other ladies to ward of the aggression of Dussasana. Dussasana followed her and caught hold of her long hair. The hair that was drenched in sacramental waters of Rajasuya was in the grip of a demonic fist and she was virtually dragged to the court. With a low voice she told, ‘I am in my periods and should not be dragged to the court’.  But Dussasana was adamant and the pride had gone to his head.

Draupadi stood before an array of kings, elders and ministers. She was at the mercy of Kauravas. She looked at her husbands and they looked at her. The loss of all wealth was nothing before the loss of Draupadi. They were helpless as they were bound by dharma. She had to argue her own point of view.

‘Hi, elders! This Dussasana has been dragging me to the court. I am not blaming him. What has happened to elders? By your silence, I can assume that there is no righteousness in this court. There is no one to answer my legitimate question. Have they won me by dharma or adharma? [vii]. There was petrified silence. Dussasana started yelling- ‘this is a slave’. Karna laughed aloud and patted Dussasana. Sakuni congratulated both Karna and Dussasana. All elders drowned their heads deep into their hearts and wept bitterly.

Ultimately Bhishma got up. ‘Hi, Draupadi! Dharma is quite subtle and so I cannot answer your question. No one can put anything which does not belong to him as a bet. Yudhishtir had admitted he had become a slave to Kauravas. It is difficult to decide whether a slave can bet anything. But a wife is always with her husband. Sakuni is adept in the game and he has incited Yudhishtir to play the game. Yudhishtir could not recognize their intentions. I cannot answer your question’.

Draupadi turned towards other elders. ‘All of you have sons and daughters-in-law in this court. Listen to my words. The game is dubious and Dharmaraja is not dexterous in the game. Those who are good in the game have incited Dharmaraja with dubious intentions and forced the game upon him. They have won Dharmaraja first and then made him put me for the bet object. How can a person put me in the game as a bet when he was already a slave? Am I defeated in a righteous way? Tell me the answer.

Draupadi continued,

न सा सभा यत्र न सन्ति वृद्धा न ते वृद्धा ये न वदन्ति धर्मम् |

नासौ धर्मो यत्र न सत्यमस्ति न तत् सत्यम् यच्छलेनानुविद्धम् ||[viii] – 

That is not sabha which is not adorned by elders. Those are not elderly who do not pronounce dharma. That is not dharma which is not founded on Truth. That is not Truth which is shrouded in deceit.

Arguments to decide what is dharma

There was an eerie of silence in the court. Dussasana was still holding the robes and dragging her. Bhima got wild. ‘I am not angry when we lost all the kingdom and wealth. Dharmaraja is the boss of all. But putting Draupadi as a bet object is beyond his limits. Because of him Draupadi is suffering now. I will cut off his hands and put fire to them. Sahadeva! Bring the fire’, Bhima rued. Arjuna immediately interfered and pacified Bhima.

When this was going on, Vikarna came forward. ‘Why are all elders silent in this court? Draupadi has been demanding answers for her questions and we are silent. This is not the way a court has to be conducted. I tell what I want to tell now. There are four addictions for a king, and he is slave to them – Hunting, drinking, betting and romancing [ix]. By indulging in these things, he deviates the path of dharma. This Yudhishtir has become an addict and lost his wife in the game. This lady is the wife of all brothers; and this Dharmaraja lost her after losing himself. It is this Sakuni who incited the loser to put her as a bet. After analyzing all these facts, I conclude that she has not been defeated in the game and she cannot be a slave’.

There was a big commotion from the galleries supporting Vikarna and admonishing Sakuni. Seeing the sense of the Sabha, Karna came forward and held the hand of Vikarna and told, ‘you are a boy and you don’t know dharma. Do you think that you are more intelligent than these elders? Dharmaraja has put all his wealth as price money and Draupadi is included in the ‘everything’ part. Dharma is subtle and you are too small to interpret it’.

Karna continued, ‘You may be thinking that dragging a lady on periods is adharma. But listen! A lady is destined for one man only. But this lady is the wife of many. She is Bandhaki and there is no harm in dragging to the court even if she has periods’. Then turning towards Dussasana, he asked him to remove the cloths of all Pandavas and Draupadi. Immediately all Pandavas removed their head cloths and kept on the floor. Dussasana starting disrobing Draupadi in the court.

All Pandavas covered the faces with their hands and sensing the mood, Draupadi started crying aloud – ‘Hey, Krishna, Govinda, protect me’. Krishna felt very sad and reached the spot incognito and blessed her robes. Dussasana got tired of removing the sarees one after another and fell to the ground. All people praised Draupadi and in one voice shouted at Dussasana.

Bhima’s vow to kill Dussasana

Bhima was quite angry by the way Dussasana behaved. With a roaring sound he cursed Dussasana and vowed that he would tear his chest and drink his boiling blood in the battlefield. All the kings started shouting that Kauravas did not answer her questions and they had deviated dharma with dubious intentions.

Vidura tried to control the audience. Addressing all the members he told aloud, ‘You all please come forward and express your opinion freely.

यो हि प्रश्नं न विब्रूयाद् धर्म दर्शी सभां गतः ।

अनृते या फलावाप्तिस्तस्या: सोsर्थं समश्नुते || [x] - Having known the dharma if a person does not answer a question, he attracts half the sin of the person telling untruth. Having known the dharma and a person tells untruth, he attracts the whole sin of telling untruth.

If dharma is defeated in the hands of adharma, the members of the court are deemed to be disregarded [xi].  We should answer the questions of Draupadi and decide whether she has become slave righteously or un-righteously.  

Use of brutal force

Karna was no mood to listen to arguments and he asked Dussasana to drag her to the harem of Duryodhana. Draupadi fell and she was helpless. She started crying- ‘How can I be dragged un-righteously? I cannot bear this aggression. Is the court dumb and deaf?’ She was crying like a goat before its death but there was none to console her. Duryodhana told, ‘Hi, Panchali! Let your husbands tell that Dharmaraja had no authority to bet you, I will exonerate you from slavery’. Everyone looked at Pandavas to hear their views.

Bhima told, ‘I agree that this Dharmaraja has right over all of us. If Dharmaraja feels that he had bet Draupadi before becoming a slave, we are also not slaves. Had I not been a slave I would have killed these Kauravas by this time’.  Bhishma pacified Bhima. Before Arjuna could talk, Karna started telling, ‘Oh, Draupadi! A slave’s wife is the property of the Master. You join the herd of servant maids in Duryodhana court. You better select a person from Kauravas as your husband and get yourself freed’. Bhima was shivering with anger. Turning towards Dharmaraja he told, ‘I am not blaming Karna as he is talking of dharma relating to slavery. I am angry with you as you had bet Draupadi and made her a laughingstock’. Dharmaraja was speechless. Duryodhana then asked Dharmaraja pointedly to tell whether Draupadi was not a slave.

Duryodhana’s gesture of showing the thigh – Bhima’s vow

Duryodhana’s jealousy, ego and pride made him mad with demonic demeaner. He removed the cloth over his thigh and gestured Draupadi to sit over it. The burning anger beneath the heart of Bhima had burst out with a bang. He yelled at Duryodhana and in the presence of all kings vowed, ‘I shall break the thigh of Suyodhana in the battlefield’.

Vidura again came forward and appealed to adhere to Dharma. Arjuna told all Kauravas, ‘When Dharmaraja lost all of his brothers, he was not a slave and so we became your slaves. But when he bet Draupadi, he was already a slave. A slave cannot have authority over any person. You better know it’.

Bad Omens – Dhritarashtra’s boons to Draupadi

When the discussion was razing with no ending, there were ominous signs around. A fox howled in the kitchen of Dhritarashtra. Donkeys around the place started braying loudly. Gandhari sensed a disaster in the future and advised Dhritarashtra to dispense justice.

Dhritarashtra shouted at Duryodhana and called Draupadi to come nearer to him. Addressing her he praised her adherence to righteousness (dharma) and requested her to ask a boon. ‘Oh king! If you want to bestow a boon to me, please exonerate my husband Dharmaraja from slavery’. Dhritashtra said yes and requested her to ask a second boon. Draupadi asked to relieve all other husbands with chariots and bows from slavery. Dhritarashtra pleased with her prayer and said yes. Then he requested her to ask a third boon.

Draupadi said, ‘Oh Maharaj! Greed destroys dharma. Now I have no interest in any boon. I am ineligible for a third boon’ (लोभो धर्मस्य नाशाय भगवन् नाहमुत्सहे | अनर्हा वरमादातुं तृतीयं राज सत्तम! [xii])  

Karna could not able to digest the happenings around. He was ridiculing Pandavas for gaining back their freedom through a means of a lady. Bhima got wild and wanted to kill all the Kauravas on the spot. Arjuna pacified Bhima. Then Dharmaraj approached Dhritashtra and politely asked him to give his further orders. Dhritarashtra bestowed all the wealth that was lost in the game to Dharmaraja. He appealed to Dharmaraja to forget the enmity keeping in view the mother Gandhari and the blind king.

Analysis of the story

This is one of the complicated stories of Maha Bharata and was interpreted in different ways by different people with different perspectives. There is a clash of law and logic; sushma dharma and sthula dharma; pratyaksha dharma and rahasya dharma and so on.

The game was forced upon Dharmaraja who was not expert and who was not inclined to play the game. The game was one-sided, and all the bets were won over by Sakuni. Sakuni was seen inciting Dharmaraja throughout the game. When all Pandavas lost their freedom, there was no necessity to remind Dharmaraja that he had one more object (Draupadi) which was not lost. When later on Kauravas justify that Draupadi was part of Pandava’s wealth and Drapadi was a deemed slave when other Pandavas were slaves, there was no necessity to incite Dharmaraja to put her a bet after he had become a slave. The intention was thus dubious.

In any society since immemorial, atrocity against the wife a person is intended to demean the dignity of the person. There was no necessity to drag a woman to the court. Kauravas dragged her to exhibit their vulgar ego, pride and anger to demean and defame the Pandavas.

Why did Dharmaraja bet his wife when he himself was a slave? Was he not aware of dharma? From the episode it is evident that he had lost his sense of discriminating intellect and put her as a prize money. Once a person becomes a slave, claiming to possess any property is ‘swapna dhanam’ (money that had appeared in dream) and just does not exist. He cannot bet something which he does not possess. Draupadi was not technically a slave (sthula dharma) but one can always argue that she is part of her husband’s wealth (sushma dharma).  Legally she has not become a slave but logically, the issue can be a debatable subject.

Karna’s logic that she was Bandhaki and hence she can be dragged to the court cannot stand on the fulcrum of ethics. She is a woman and no woman’s personal freedom can be violated against her will. Draupadi’s rightful questions were never answered and brutal force was applied to satisfy the ego of Duryodhana.

Dhritarashtra was seen asking with glee, ‘have we won’? He did not heed the advice of Vidura throughout the game. But did he become so generous in the end and prepar to bestow boons to Draupadi? Fear gripped him on hearing the vows of Bhima and there were bad omens all around. He was also worried that Krishna was on the side of dharma. He wanted the safety of his own sons and that prompted him to become generous.

The story highlights the noble character of Draupadi who adhered to dharma despite adversities. The boldness of the lady is visible when she refuses to reach the court as her rightful questions are not answered. Even when Dhritarashtra tried to please her with boons, she never asked for the kingdom and wealth. Initially she asked the release of Dharmaraja alone. An eminent authority on Maha Bharata, Dr Salaka Raghunatha Sarma opines that there was specific intention by Draupadi in not asking the kingdom as a boon. It was enough to get one person released from slavery to defeat Kauravas. She knew that Dharmaraja was the embodiment of Dharma and victory (Jaya) is there where dharma resides.  

When he requested her to ask second boon, she was clever enough to ask for the liberation of other husbands with bows and chariots.[xiii] The words used here are significant in the sense that she wanted full armored husbands. This is another warning to Dhritarashtra that an imminent war was on the cards. When she refused to accept the third boon on dharmic grounds (a kshatriya lady is not entitled for a third boon), Dhrishtra relented and bestowed the kingdom even if it is not asked. The intelligence of Draupadi won the day. She never asked the kingdom and wealth but got them. Draupadi and Dhritarashtra’s conversation was totally strategic and in this war of attrition, Draupadi had won.

Throughout the story we find Dharmaraja not slipping out of equanimity. He just did not express his anger and bore the insults as he was tied by dharma. Pandavas suppressed their anger though they could crush the Kauravas easily. Since they became slaves, they dared not touch Kauravas. For them adherence to dharma was integral and primary.

In this story, we learn as to how a parliament (sabha) has to be conducted. Having known the dharma if a person does not answer a question, he attracts half the sin of the person telling untruth. Having known the dharma and a person tells untruth, he attracts the whole sin of telling untruth. If dharma is defeated in the hands of adharma, all the members of the court are held responsible.

Finally, a very important aspect of the story is that of ‘śaraṇāgata  vatsalata’ of the Omniscient and Omnipotent God. If a person surrenders at the feet of the God discarding the ego, the God appears to save the devotee. When Draupadi cried in despair, the God appeared to save her. Pandavas were protected throughout due to their adherence to the path of Bhakti.

The story is full of slokas discussing the subtle aspects of dharma which are very frequently quoted by the scholastic community.

Popular Misconceptions/ Things to unlearn

There is a very popular story that Duryodhana had imprisoned all his maternal uncles (Sakuni was the younger uncle) in a dark chamber and was giving meagre food. Sakuni survived and all the ninety-nine-brothers died of hunger. Duryodhana took pity at Sakuni and brought him to the court and in due course of time, with diabolic intentions, he could gain access to Duryodhana’s coterie. The story also says that the dice were made of the bones of the elder brother and thus they were having magical powers. The intentions of Sakuni was to avenge the death of his brothers and so he played the game inviting a future war. This story is no where found in the Maha Bharata.

Points to ponder

1. Was slavery prevalent in ancient India? How is the concept of ‘dasyam’ different from the ‘slavery’ of the West?
2. What is the role of members of a sabha (parliamentarians) when dharma is violated upon?
3. Can a woman’s modesty be violated by force? Can we justify in a civilized society?
4. Having studied the character of Draupadi in this story, do you feel that women of Maha Bharata were illiterate with regard to the nuances of Dharma?
5. What are the reasonable limits of Employee loyalty to the Employer when the later pursue the path of unrighteousness?

Footnotes

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[i] This story is from Sabha Parva of Maha Bharata written by sage Ved Vyasa.

[ii] Sabha Parva 59.5.

[iii] tyajet kulārthe puruṣaṃ grāmasyārthe kulaṃ tyajet

grāmaṃ janapadasyārthe ātmārthe pṛthivīm tyajet - Sabha Parva 62.11

[iv] Sabha Parva 66.1

[v] Sabha Parva 66.4

[vi] Sabha Parva 67.27

[vii] Sabha Parva 67.41

[viii] na sā sabhā yatra na santi vṛddhā

na te vṛddhā ye na vadanti dharmam |

nāsau dharmo yatra na satyamasti

na tat satyam yacchalenānuviddham ||-Sabha Parva 67.53

[ix] Sabha Parva 68.21

[x]  yo hi praśnaṃ na vibrūyād dharma darśī sabhāṃ gataḥ ।

anṛte yā phalāvāptistasyā: sosrthaṃ samaśnute || - Sabha Parva 68.63

[xi] Sabha Parva- 68.77

[xii] lobho dharmasya nāśāya bhagavan nāhamutsahe |

anarhā varamādātuṃ tṛtīyaṃ rāja sattama! - Sabha Parva 71.34.

[xiii] Sabha Parva 71.32

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