Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c5.s11.3

c5.s11.3

One such debate occurred when Draupadī in a most humiliating way was dragged into the court of Duryodhana and was asked to become a slave, she started pleading her case. As per the original version, Kṛṣṇa does not appear to supply the chain of *saries*, neither there is an actual attempt to disrobe her. She is teased and molested. She makes an appeal to the elders in the assembly and raises a question — whether her husband was authorized to make her a bet when after putting himself on stake, he had lost and become a slave himself. Draupadī not only pleads her own case, she is able to generate a public opinion in her favour. This whole unsavoury happening was conceived by the authors of *Mahābhārata* as an impromptu debate. The court of Duryodhana became an assembly for debate; Draupadī was the petitioner (*vādin*). Duryodhana and his accomplices became the respondents. This debate is being further discussed in the next chapter.