Madhuvidya

SR No.: 006525
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 2001
Total Pages: 762
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Literature, & Philosophy
File Size: 17 MB

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90
Indian Literature
There is a statement in Sarma's paper which is difficult to accept. He makes Arjuna say: "Should I not feel the same sense of shame and insult to dharma now, as ought to have been felt by Duryodhana and his associates on that occasion (i.e. when Draupadi's modesty was outraged in the Sabhā)?” (pp. 14647). Does Sarma consider the shameful acts of the Kauravas in the Sabha and Arjuna's killing Jayadratha to fulfil his vow which reduced Duḥśāla to her pitiable plight to be on a par with each other?
As a point of detail one may note that it is not true, as Sarma makes it out, that Gandhiri wished to have a daughter (p.145). This occurs in an interpolated passage (1. App.1. No.63).
The question raised by Draupadi regarding the validity of the last play in the game of dice in which she was staked has been mentioned by more than one contributor as an instance of a moral dilemma. S.M. Kulkarni has an entire paper (pp.150156) devoted to it. All those who speak about it agree that the question remained unsolved to the end. In fact, Matilal goes to the extent of saying that Draupadi's dilemma is not only unresolved but also unresolvable” (p.x).
. It has to be observed that the problem posed by Draupadi's question has not been correctly followed. In the first instance, let it be remembered that it is not a moral dilemma, but is one which has legal implication (scc also Matilal, p. xi, 2.), especially the one related to the rules of the game of dice. According to a remark made by Sakuni we learn that a gambler could stake himself only when nothing else was left with him to stake. In the eyes of Sakuni, Yudhisthira had committed adharma since he staked himself when a certain item of his property, viz. his wife, had remained unstaked (2.58.29). In order to tempt Yudhisthira to stake Draupadi even after he had staked himself hc offered Yudhisthira freedom from bondage if after staking Draupadi he won the last game. He told Yudhisthira : "You stake Draupadi on your part, and I will stake you. If you win this game, you would not only not lose Draupadi, but you will win back your own freedom (2.58.31)”. Sakuni could do this since Yudhisthira
Nov.-Dec. 1990
Madhu Vidyā/704