Sunday, January 24, 2010

Draupadi’s unending circle of suffering

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    • C Mrunalini
    • Poor Draupadi. The end of the Kurukshetra war did not bring an end to her suffering. Not even the end of Dwapara yuga. She seems to be suffering even in Kaliyuga. Of course, she is, by far, the most interesting female character of Hindu mythology with all her strengths and weaknesses. And thus, very tempting to authors who run out of subjects. The latest novel by Padma Shri Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, a former Member of Parliament, has now portrayed her as a woman whose life revolves around romantic (I am being very gentle and polite) endeavours. In an otherwise prosaic rendition of the Mahabharata (which, of course is not his), the only places he deviates are those describing her nights with the five husbands and her obsession with Krishna. Both these interpolations are tasteless to say the least, and improper, too.

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