Madhuvidya

Author(s): S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 540

MEHENDALE : Once Again Draupadi's Hair
cloth. (tatah kesän samutkṣipya vellitägrän aninditän juguha dakṣine pārsve mrdün asitalocană | 4.8.1). Thus, while Draupadi had to keep her beautiful hair concealed, she must take care of Sudeşpa's hair!
One need have no hesitation in admitting the painful twist in the life of Draupadi emphasized by H. But it is necessary to object to his remark 1 "she whose hair is hidden, and, I would argue, stili dishevelled" (p. 191). In support of his assumption H. finds nothing in the epic text, neither critical nor interpolated. All that he can find in support is the artist's representa tions of Draupadi's hair inserted in the critical edition of the Virataparvan (facing pp. 67 and 272) and the Sabhäparvan (p. 305). There Draupadi's hair appear loose, not tied up in a braid.
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It has to be admitted that the artist's representations in the critical edi. tion are, at times, faulty. The editors of the critical edition must have been conscions of it. Yet, the representations were allowed to appear probably because of the exigencies of time. However, the editors could never have imagined that any one at any time would use those representations, even in a foot-note, as a piece of evidence. In the two specific representations of the Virataparvan mentioned above Draupadi surely wears her hair loose. H. has only noticed that. But those hair cannot be called "dishevelled," not at any rate in the first representation (facing p. 67) and, what is more important, they are not shown gathered up and concealed on the right side as required by the epic text (4.8.1).
Draupadi's hair were definitely not dishevelled and unkempt at the commencement of her life incognito. To prove this it is not necessary to point to the two representations noticed above. One would rather point to the two adjectives mṛdün and aninditan of her hair found in the passage noticed above (4. 8. 1). They are quite enough to indicate that Draupadi took good care of her hair in the forest. It is likely that Draupadi did not tie up her soft (mrdu) and blameless (anindita) hair in the normal triveni way, as she did in the forest life, but braided them in the ekaveni way because she was going to tell Sudeşpa that she was living away from her five Gandharva husbands (4. 8. 27).
In the southern recension of the Mbh. H. finds a clear proof of the connection between Draupadi's vow to wear her hair dishevelled and her disguise
H. has not considered the question why Draupadi had concealed her hair. It is not likely that Draupadi acted that way because that was the way Sairandhris were expec(Continued on the next page)
Madhu Vidya/515