Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c20.30

Language: English

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like a snake. But Dhṛtarāṣṭra kept on asking in joyful excitement : " 'How? Won? How? Won?' and gave no heed to his mien. Karṇa with Duḥśāsana and his other (brothers) rejoiced immoderately. But from the eyes of the other men in the hall the water gushed" (ii, 65.40 ff.). When Draupadī is then actually played away, and Duryodhana wishes to treat her as a slave, Vidura prophesies its fall to the Kuru race. Then follow the events in the hall so insulting to Draupadī, and she never raises any question as to her having fallen according to law and custom to the winner in the game, if only it is certain that Yudhiṣṭhira before putting her to the hazard of fortune has not lost his own freedom, and with it every right of property. She makes appeal to the noble and dignified lords, and begs them to decide whether she is really a slave or not. And now the thoughts of those present struggle and wrestle with this complicated question of law, seeking a solution. Where a good heart speaks, as in Bhīma, there is room but for one thing: a holy wrath at such a crime; and even one of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Vikarṇa, presses his hands together in anger, pain, and despair, because the assembly, mainly out of fear of Duryodhana, sits there dumb, while according to Vikarṇa's loudly uttered consciousness of the law Yudhiṣṭhira was absolutely without the power to gamble away the noble princess, since from the first he had only a part-ownership in her, and then as bondman had lost all rights in her.

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A storm of applause follows his words. But then the scales again turn in Duryodhana's favour; all the good ones utter loud cries of blame that the Kauravas would not settle Draupadī's case. But in the hall they are swayed this way and that, for and against the poor proud woman. Duryodhana then leaves the decision with the five brothers, especially Yudhiṣṭhira; this way out of it is hailed by many with loud shouts of applause, and much waving of shawls, while others utter loud cries of pain. They all look intently at the brothers, especially the eldest one. The latter wraps himself in his silent wretchedness, Bhīma gives vent to his rage, the worthless Arjuna, who is also here, needless to say, dreadfully correct,¹ thinks : “The king was a free master when he staked us. But what he was master of, when he had gambled himself away, this is the question that the Kurus here must decide together.” Then the evil-boding signs resound, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra lets mildness have the upper hand. The difficulty around which everything turns in the long discussion is only this : Was Yudhishthira still lord of anything (īça) when he offered Draupadī? We know he was not so. But for the knowledge of law in those days the question was a knotty one.

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For Bhīshma, the truly noble teacher of law in the Mahābh., acknowledges the matter to be too subtle for him : Yudhishthira, indeed, has already become a slave, he says, and thus without any possessions whatever, but on the other hand the wife stands always under the husband’s sway. But what the bungling interpreter of the law has to leave doubtful, holds no darkness for the eye of the unspoiled mind, nor for the noble heart. “A dice-game (atidyūta, ii, 71.17) carried beyond the bounds of what is right was played here, since ye are disputing about a woman in the gaming-hall ; happiness and well-being will be utterly destroyed for you, O Kurus, for ye are plotting evil deeds ”—shouts Vidura, and this is the feeling not only of the honourable Bhīma, but of almost all those there, as also of the people and the women. According to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s own account the Brahmans also were “angered when Draupadī was dragged about ” (ii, 81.22 ; see the whole matter in ii, 65 ff.). Now as the woman is herself property, she, of course, in principle cannot own anything. What she acquires belongs to her owner (her father or her husband).¹ The wife is here the same as the slave and the child (i, 82.22 ; ii, 71.1 ; v, 33.64). But that the woman could own private property bestowed on her or inherited, this we have already seen.