Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c17.1

v2.c17.1

As on the widow, so the Epic, often too, bestows beautiful and heartfelt words on the woman in sorrow, and eloquently paints the misery of her that is filled with suffering. Only one or two of these many passages will be mentioned. Bitter sorrow is laid on Draupadī when Arjuna must go off for a long time, and she calls down on him the favour of all beings and gods (iii, 37.24 ff.). Deeply moving is Kuntī’s farewell to her sons and daughter-in-law. Through Yudhishṭhira’s foolishness they have lost all, and must wander into misery for thirteen years. In burning sorrow Draupadī clasps her woman-friends, loud cries of woe are heard in the women’s house. Kuntī can hardly speak for sorrow, and says to Draupadī : “ To thee, my child, I need give no counsel ; thou good and perfect one, thou art an ornament to thy father’s house, and thy husband’s, and no sorrow can befall faithful wives. Walk thou paths of happiness, strengthened by the thought of me.” She sees her sons standing there, who lower their faces for shame, are surrounded by gloating foes and weeping friends, and have been robbed of all their ornaments, and their good garments ; and she bewails the weary lot that lies before the banished in the wilds of the forest, and the injustice of the fate that groundlessly persecutes such glorious, such pious men, and she calls Pāṇḍu and Mādrī blessed, in that they are no longer left on earth to experience these awful things. After the last embrace they go forth, Draupadī in her only, dirty garment ; and the mother senseless with sorrow is led into her house by the arm of a loving kinsman (ii, 79). Cp. e.g. v, 90.