Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c20.30.1

v2.c20.30.1

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.