Yudhishtira had now lost everything including his brothers,himself and Draupadi.In the gambling hall called Jayanta all the elders,Bhishma, Drona,Kripa,Vidura,Dhritarashtra and others were speechless.Duryodhana declared that the Pandavas were now his slaves.

He teased them by saying that she would now have to sweep the floors of the palace.Vidura shouted at him to stop his nonesense and again pleaded with the King.He tried to explain to him that Yudhishtira wagered her when he had already lost his own freedoms and liberties and it is not considered as legal for him to stake her under such conditions.

He begged the King to return freedom to the Pandavas and their wealth too and save himself from the ruin that could befall the family.Then Duryodhana shouted at Vidura telling him to be quiet and not to give them any more advice.

Duryodhana then sent a servant to bring Draupadi to the assembly hall. The servant went to Draupadi's chamber and appraised her of the situation.She questioned him as to wheather Yudhishtira had his freedom before wagering her in the game and the servant again explained to her the details of what had transpired.

When the servant returned to the assembly and told Duryodhana what had happened,he became mad with rage.Calling on his younger brother Dussashana,he now sent him to fetch Draupadi.

Dussashana went into Draupadi's chamber and grabbed hold of her by the hair and dragged her into the assembly hall.Again none of the elders said or did anything.They all remained quiet.Draupadi angrily called out to the elders in the assembly begging them to stop this despicable act.She reminded them that,that was no way to threat the daughter-in-law of the family.Yet no one said a thing.

With dishevelled hair,loose clothing and her face stained with tears, Draupadi stood before the assembly.The Pandavas sat quietly with their heads bent in shame whilst she addressed Dhritarashtra."Maharaja is there no shame in the House of Pandu that you remain quiet while the codes of morality are broken?"

Then she turned to Bhishma,"Why is the revered Bhishma and Drona quiet"? Duryodhana,Dussashana and Karna began laughing.Bhima in a fit of anger now confronted his elder brother Yudhishtira tellingb him it was wrong to stake Draupadi.Arjuna pacified Bhima by telling him that they must respect their elder brother and stand by him in this his moment of need.Bhima then became quiet and in control once again.

Then Bhishma finally answered telling her that it was her duty to obey her husband regardless of him being a slave.He told her that Yudhishtira entered the game on his own free willand only he can tell her if she was now a slave or not.

Then one of Duryodhana's younger brother Vikarna stepped up.He told the assembly that in his opinion Draupadi was not won because Yudhishtira had already staked himself and lost.Therefore,Draupadi was still free.Vikarna's words were applauded by the supporters of the Pandavas but he was chastised by Karna who told him that the elders are quiet because they know that she is now a slave.

Duryodhana made filthy remarks about Draupadi telling her that there is a name for a woman who has five husbands.Insinuating that she was a whore,she became even more shattered and again there was no comment from the elders.

The wicked Duryodhana then ordered Dussashana to strip Draupadi of her clothing in front of everyone in the assembly.Even then none of the elders protested,they continued with their silence and allowed Duryodhana to proceed with his evil.

Draupadi seeing that there was no one present here to rescue her from this major crisis that she was now faced with,started praying to Krishna for help.Dussashana began pulling on Draupadi's sari (clothing) and Draupadi's desperation became greater and so did her mental prayer to Krishna.

Then the all pervading Lord Krishna showered his divine grace on her. He appeared there unseen by all except Draupadi and as Dussashana would pull on her clothes to take it off,the Lord will continue to replace it.

For many hours Dussashana kept pulling off Draupadi's clothing and Lord Krishna would ensure that her nakedness was never revealed to anyone in the assembly.He thus made her sari longer so that it was impossible to disrobe her.

Draupadi repeatedly asked for an answer to her question ,wheather she was a slave or not.Duryodhana taunted here again and again telling her to ask her slave husbands.Yudhishtira was ashamed and bent his head.

Exausted with this exercise,Dussashana finally gave up.Duryodhana was beside himself with rage and as a vulgar gesture,he offered his thighs to Draupadi signalling his manhood.

Pandit Bhadase Maharaj.

©Copyrighted