Cross-posted from my answer to the question: What was the relationship between Draupadi and the Pandavas like? on Quora
Draupadi's relationship with the Pandavas is complex and at the heart of the Mahabharata.
Let's jump right in with the most important relationship: Draupadi and Arjuna.
Of the five Pandavas, Draupadi favors Arjuna the most. She is in love with him, whereas the others are in love with her. Arjuna has won her in the Swayamvar, Arjuna is her Lord, and she is devoted to him. 1
On the other hand, she is not Arjuna's favorite wife. Arjuna does not like sharing her with 4 other men (conjecture on my part). Arjuna's favorite wife is Subadhra, Krishna's half-sister. He also dotes on Abhimanyu (his son with Subadhra) over and above his sons from Draupadi and Chitrangada (Here is a quick question: Can you name his sons from Draupadi and Chitrangada? Off the top of your head? Exactly). All of Draupadi's husbands married other women, but the only time Draupadi gets upset and distraught is when she learns of Arjuna's marriage to Subadhra. Subadhra has to go to Draupadi dressed as a maid, just to assure her that she (Subadhra) will always be beneath Draupadi in status. 2
Now let's see the reason why Draupadi's life is a shambles, why she is the most cursed woman of her time, and one of the most important reasons behind the Mahabharata war: Draupadi's marriage to Yudhisthir.
Here is something we need to understand first: Yudhisthir is a bastard. This is not to be held against him - all Mahabharata characters are gray - but people tend to forget this bit. Yudhisthir does not win Draupadi in the Swayamvar, he has no right to her. He lusts for her, he cannot bear seeing her everyday and not be able to have her. So he takes a small chance that fate throws his way, when Kunti says, "Share whatever you have between yourselves", and bullies Draupadi and his brothers into the weird "Lets all marry her" situation. Bhima does not like this, he claims that it is not right and that people will laugh at them. Yudhisthir tells him of Rishis who have done this before, and that it is accepted in Dharma.3 He then rushes forward and says that since he is the eldest, he must get "first dibs" with Draupadi. (Sorry to be crude here, but I tell it like I read it.) The brothers marry her according to age, eldest to youngest.
Then, Yudhisthir calls an assembly with his brothers and tells them the story of 2 powerful rakshasas, Sunda and Upasunda 4, whose love for the same woman led them to destroy each other. He says that the lesson to learn here is that the brothers must be careful when sharing Draupadi. She must be with one brother for a set period of time, and during this period the other brothers cannot touch her (carnally, that is). Yudhisthir decides that Draupadi will live for 1 year with each brother and that since he is the eldest, she will start the cycle with him.
Yudhisthir doesn't stop with this. He knows that Draupadi loves Arjuna. He does not want her to tempt him into breaking the rules. Hence he says that the brother who breaks this rule will have to go into exile for 12 years (seriously?). Further, the same punishment will apply if any brother happens to disturb another when he is carnally engaged with Draupadi. Ouch. This punishment actually comes into play when Arjuna disturbs Yudhisthir and Draupadi. Arjuna has to retrieve his weapons from the armory, in order to help a poor Brahmin whose cows have been stolen by thieves. Guess where Yudhisthir and Draupadi are doing it? That's right. The Armory.5
Arjuna departs on his 12 year tour of India, where he visits his father Indra, gets cursed by Urvashi, learns a lot of new skills from multiple teachers (Shiva, Indra etc), meets and marries Subadhra, followed by Chitrangada, etc. However, what happens to the year that he is to spend with Draupadi? It reverts back to Yudhisthir, who promises to care for Draupadi on Arjuna's behalf. Naturally.
After that morose tale of manipulation, let's visit to a slightly more cheerful tale of manipulation: Draupadi and Bhima
Bhima is silly putty in Draupadi's hands. Of all her husbands, he is the one who loves her the most. He fulfills her every request, he cannot bear to see her hurt.
Who brings her flowers from Kuber's garden? Bhima. Who cries because his beautiful wife will have to serve as a Sairandhri (maid) to Queen Sudeshna of Matsya? Bhima. Who kills a 100 Kauravas to avenge the insult to Draupadi? Bhima. Who does Draupadi run to when she is molested by Keechak in Matsya kingdom? Bhima.
The other Pandavas are not under Draupadi's thumb. She is prone to outbursts of rage, she makes unreasonable, unwise demands. When she wants Keechak killed for molesting her, Yudhisthir tells her that it would expose their presence in Matsya kingdom, and advises her to "live with it". (Model husband that). Bhima simply walks up to Keechak in the middle of the night and tears him limb from limb. No questions asked.6
Draupadi shows us Bhima's human side. He is a savage monster with others, but he is always and only tender when it comes to Draupadi.
As with most of the Mahabharat, Nakul and Sahadev don't really matter here. I haven't read any version of the Mahabharat where Nakul and Sahadev have any role of substance. In reality, Nakul and Sahadev are more loyal to Yudhisthir than anyone else. They don't share father or mother with Yudhisthir, yet they follow him everywhere and do exactly as he asks. They could have gone and ruled over Madradesh (their birthright through Madri), and lived a life of luxury and ease, but they stuck with their brother through thick and thin. Makes one appreciate them a little bit more.
In summary, Draupadi's curse is the curse of beauty. She is the object of every man's lust, but no one cares much for what she desires or feels. Her husbands gamble her away as if she were property. When Dusshasana strips her in view of a full court, she has to beg Krishna to save her. Her husbands don't lift a finger. Even at the end of their 13 year exile, the Pandavas are not intent on war. They worry that the losses in the Kurukshetra war will be too big to warrant it. Draupadi has to turn to her friend, Krishna, to heal her soul. Krishna promises her:7
"Soon wilt thou, O Draupadi, behold the ladies of Bharata's race weep as thou dost. Even they, O timid one, will weep like thee, their kinsmen and friends being slain. They with whom, O lady, thou art angry, have their kinsmen and warriors already slain…. I will accomplish all this."
And thus comes about the Mahabharata war.
1 Draupadi favors Arjuna. Note that it is Bhima who questions why Draupadi fell, not Arjuna.
3 Conformable to virtue. Note his sentence construction - "My mother commands it, and my heart approves"
4 The Story of Sunda and Upasunda.
6 Keechak Vadha. If you don't read any of the other footnotes, read this one. It throws light on the true nature of Yudhisthir and Bhima.
7 Krishna promises revenge. Read this too, because Krishna is awesome.
]]>Cross-posted from my note: Notes and Reading Material on the Mahabharata on Quora
People have shown some interest in reading material for the Mahabharata, this post should save me from repeatedly typing the same things.
These books are straight-forward narrations of the Mahabharata. They introduce the reader to all the major characters and plot turns. In my experience, people are not even aware of the major players in the Mahabharata. To them, it's simply the story of 5 good Pandavas vs 100 evil Kauravas. If you have never read the Mahabharata, or are unsure about what you have read, one of these books is a good place to start.
Now we come to the interesting part of the Mahabharata. If you choose to abandon a Sanjaya-esque all-knowing view of the Mahabharata, and read it from the point of view of a single character as it interacts with the Mahabharata world, you will discover that every character was right in every action they took. This is the real beauty of the Mahabharata. The whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. The characters behave as human beings would behave. They make decisions based on incomplete/incorrect knowledge. They are driven by lust, ambition, revenge and other human emotions. Unfortunately, I've come across precious few English books that take this approach. The bulk of the great writing related to the Mahabharata is in regional languages. (In my case, Marathi, my mother-tongue)
We should now turn to books that explain the Mahabharata (or parts of it) in detail.
I've separated these books from those in the previous section because I think they are better books. This is my personal opinion.
These books are utter bunkum. Do yourself a favor and don't read them.
Kisari Mohan Ganguly [1883-1896] translated the Sanskrit texts into English word-for-word. He has done a great service to idiots like me, providing a ready reference that I can look up anytime I want. You can find the translated text here: The Mahabharata
You can also find the entire text of the Mahabharata in Sanskrit here (Note: this is not the critical edition printed by BORI, which is considered the authoritative version): The Mahabharata - Sanskrit
These books are gems in Mahabharata literature (from what I've heard), and they are all inaccessible to me either because they are out of print or because they are in an unknown language. If someone has read one of these books and is willing to explain the salient points to me, I will pay for dinner and drinks.
Cross-posted from my answer to the question: Why is Lord Krishna called the master of finesse in the Mahabharat? on Quora
I will attempt to answer this, but my answer is going to be controversial. Please keep in mind that it is not my intention to offend anyone.
Alright, let's start with some ground rules. For the length of this answer, consider that Krishna is not Lord Krishna, the god and that the Mahabharat is not a religious text revered by millions. Instead, let us analyze the Mahabharat as if it is a (ridiculously good) fantasy story, and Krishna is a central character in this story.
Krishna is introduced to us early on, as a cousin of the Pandavas. He is accomplished, wise, and powerful in his own right (unlike Pandavas or Kauravas at this point, who are squabbling children). This is because he has overthrown Kamsa, the King of Surasena kingdom, native land of the Yadavas. However, he has multiple problems of his own. Firstly, he is a cowherd, not royalty. The Yadavas rule by council, not by king. Thus, even though Krishna is the leader of the Yadavas, he is not equal to royalty. Further, Kamsa was Jarasandh's Senapati. Jarasandh is the emperor of India. Every other dynasty, including the Kurus, pays obeisance to him. This doesn't leave Krishna with very many allies. That Krishna is capable and a political genius (at such a young age) is evident because Jarasandh has been unable to crush him outright. But Krishna has now fought 18 wars with Jarasandh, and has slowly lost territory to him. He has been forced to leave his land and move to the island of Dwarka. He needs help.
Guess who else need help? The Pandavas. They are staking a claim to the throne of Hastinapur on extremely untenable grounds: It is an open secret that Pandu was impotent. Who then, are these children, arrived from nowhere? Here is Krishna's opportunity. The Pandavas will oppose Duryodhana, who is Dhritarashtra's son. Dhritarashtra is politically aligned with Jarasandh. Thus, Pandavas are going against Jarasandh himself. Krishna aligns himself with the Pandavas.
I'll skip some details here, because I don't intend to reproduce the Mahabharat entirely. Suffice to say that Krishna and Arjuna are the closest of friends now. Krishna has helped Arjuna earn multiple celestial weapons, he has convinced Drupad to let Draupadi marry the Pandavas, he has orchestrated the building of the Mayasabha in Indraprastha.
The Rajsuya yagna is his chance to strike against Jarasandh. He convinces Yudhisthir that he needs to perform the yagna to establish his supremacy over India. Who stands in Yudhishthir's way? The current emperor of India, Jarasandh. So do they declare war on Magadh? No. Krishna, Arjuna and Bhima sneak into Magadh, and challenge Jarasandh to single combat. Bhima kills Jarasandh, after which Krishna installs Jarasandh's son Sahadev onto the throne of Magadh. Thus, he eliminates his biggest enemy, gains access to a sizeable army, and makes multiple allies when he frees the political prisoners of Jarasandh. Who else stands in his way? Shishupal, king of Chedi, his lifelong enemy, and the Senapati of Jarasandh's army. Yudhishthir invites Shishupal to the Rajsuya yagna. Krishna is the guest of honor for this yagna, over and above celebrated people like Bhisma and Drona. Krishna lets Shishupal berate and belittle him for a long time–long enough to convince everyone that Shishupal is an asshole of the first degree. Then he calmly beheads him. No battle, no challenge to fight to the death, nothing. In a single stroke, in front of enough witnesses to assert that Shishupal truly deserved it, the Senapati of Jarasandh is gone.
Who else is Krishna's enemy? Duryodhan, friend of Jarasandh, and a political genius in his own right. Duryodhan has befriended Balaram, Krishna's elder brother and the most important person on the Yadava council after Krishna himself. Krishna did not foresee this, but Balaram teaches the mace to Bhima and Duryodhana, and he is impressed with Duryodhana. Duryodhan will not be so easy to eliminate. We will deal with him later.
Balaram promises Subhadhra to Duryodhana in marriage. If this comes to pass, the two families will be much too closely linked for Krishna's liking. Lucky then, that Arjuna is there to whisk her away.
However, this is one instance where Krishna's intentions do not come to pass. Krishna's own son, Samba, is fool enough to fall in love with Duryodhana's daughter Laxamani. He tries to whisk her away just like Arjuna did with Subhadhra. However, he is no Arjuna, and Duryodhana is no fool. He is caught and put behind bars. Duryodhana announces that Samba will be put to death. Even in this situation, Krishna cannot come to negotiate with Duryodhan. This is a political loss, he stands to lose face. Instead he pleads with Balaram to go on his behalf. Balaram successfully negotiates with Duryodhana, promising him support in battle, and brings Samba and Laxamani back to Dwarka. The families are intertwined. Krishna will face a much tougher task getting support from the Yadavas against Duryodhana now.
Krishna does not have an option. He is over-ruled by his council, and pledges his army to Duryodhana. However he says that he will fight on behalf of the Pandavas, because they have asked him for help too. He makes it sound as innocuous as possible: "I will only be a charioteer. I will not take up arms. I only wish to accompany my friend Arjuna. What can little old me do?" And now Duryodhana makes a fatal mistake. He underestimates Krishna. He agrees to Krishna's conditions.
Krishna plays his master-stroke early on. He is fully aware of the capabilities of his army. If Balaram enters the battlefield on Duryodhana's side, it is game over for the Pandavas. So Krishna convinces Balaram that this war will be full of adharma (he is not wrong on that count). A man of Balaram's accomplishments should not taint his soul by participating in such a war. He should instead go on a pilgrimage to the holy sites in India. This is Krishna's greatest political maneuver in the Mahabharat. With Balaram gone, Kritivarma becomes the Senapati of the Yadava army. It is a testament to the quality of Yadava soldiers that Kritivarma and Satyaki (who is the only Yadava to fight for the Pandavas) are two of the 10 people to survive the war.
When Krishna goes to Hastinapur to sue for peace, one last time, he plays another closely guarded card. He takes Karna aside and tells him of his parentage. He then tries to sway Karna by promises of power and rule. He even offers Draupadi as a final perquisite. Karna turns him down. Luckily for Krishna, Bhishma too has his own agenda. He knows the truth of Karna's birth, and does not wish for him to fight his brothers. So he insults Karna in the war council, and tells him he is only fit to fight ardha-rathis. Karna swears not to enter the battlefield until Bhishma falls. Thus the Pandavas are free of the terror of Karna for 10 days. When Karna will finally enter the battlefield on the 11th day, Krishna will try again. He will send Kunti to Karna, to convince Karna to switch, and when that fails, to beg for the lives of her sons. Thus, Krishna will ensure that 4 sons of Kunti are safe from the wrath of Karna.
There are many, many things that Krishna does on the battlefield, but most people are already aware of them. Quickly then, the highlights:
In summary, the Pandavas are bumbling fools who do not stand a snowball's chance in hell without Krishna to guide them on every step. In return, they revere Krishna, and proclaim that he is their god, their spiritual leader. Krishna enters the fray to be royalty, ends up becoming a God.
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