Was Draupadi immoral? Symbology, gender reflections and reality...

One fine day I came across this question (in a more distorted form) on a certain social networking
site where sometimes questions of remarkable absurdity are put up and according to me this question
is an outcome of Historical truth and flawed perception which majority of the male section in this
universe holds about the other gender (only somewhat getting better now, still question is there).
Nonetheless it triggered my senses to analyse the issue with some deep critical insights into broader
related trajectories. Let’s see.

First, preferably the name “Jayasamhita” or “Satasahashrasamhita” (as Mahabharata originally

was known) in place of “Mahabharata” would be more appropriate to use as it was a collection
compiled through a vast period of time and the term “samhita” very well depicts the meaning “a
collection”. As “the Mahabharata” as we perceive today in its common interpretation largely was an
outcome of nationalist historians with a motive to ensure dominance over British supremacy during
colonial era and infuse the national character in common men and they were right on their part. But,
but, but…. later distortions for supremacy and endless manipulations have both degraded the spirit
and perception by which this epic or for that matter even “the Ramayana” was characterized.

Let’s go back to the days, of Indus Valley and time before it? Confusing? but very much relevant…
Confirmed dates of Indus Valley Civilization has shifted more than 3000 years back to 5000 BCE
roughly or more (BCE is more apt perhaps as BC again bounds time to religious domain but when
time itself isn’t defined .. how can a so called “child of god” define time, when time was existing
before the “god” itself ) any ways, let’s not deviate, and here’s the link that the recent research by a
team of researchers from IIT Kharagpur, Institute of Archaeology, Deccan College Pune, Physical
Research Laboratory and Archaeological survey of India (ASI) also shows that the civilisation itself
was much older than thought — it is at least 8,000 years old. According to them climate change was
not the only reason as the evidences suggest that they moved from water-intensive to drought resistant
crops.

Now, correctly speculating the social conditions of those times, and from simple perception it’s very
evident that women have been, historically, scientifically and sociologically, subjected to male
supremacy and it was the inherent nature of Nature itself. We find only one or two seals depicting a
“Mother God” (although just a perception still un-deciphered), and in Vedic times, mention of names
such as “Gargi”, “Lopamudra” as great women saints criticized for questioning and we think that
early Vedic period women enjoyed supreme status. Here the point to be noted is in modern times we
have endless successful women but does that justify that women enjoy equal status and
supremacy as men. The answer is quite obvious as even the recent NCRB data projects how
good are we in protecting and projecting our female counterpart even in the National Capital.

Now let’s delve into much more interesting trajectories.

Actual dates of Mahabharata goes to 5560 BCE, (somewhat roughly), War taking place 16th
October 5561 BCE, according to sources Scientific Dating of Mahabharata by Dr. P.V.Vartak .
Astronomical and literary evidences or clues from the Pauranic and Vaidic texts have been deciphered
to provide a conclusive date for the Mahabharat War. The fifth century mathematician, Aryabhatta,
calculated the date of the Mahabharat War to be approximately 3100 B.C. from the planetary positions
recorded in the Mahabharat. Prof. C.V. Vaidya and Prof. Apte had derived the date to be 3101 B.C.
and Shri. Kota Venkatachalam reckoned it to be 3139 B.C. However, the astronomical data used by
the above, and many other, scholars contained some errors as examined by a scholar from Pune, Dr.
P.V. Vartak. Using astronomical references and variety of other sources, Dr. Vartak has derived the
date of the initiation of the Mahabharat War to be 16th October 5561 B.C. This proposed date has
been examined by a few scholars and has been verified. This may prove to be a breakthrough in
deciding the chronology of the events in the history of Bharat (and probably the World). So it’s a
timeline coalescing with the Pre-histories. Indus Valley Civilization or “Meluha” (as the place was
originally called), was a place, fast developing with conglomeration of all races creeds and caste.
Evidences of tribes beyond India and Afghanistan were prevalent, the nomads, less cultured Indo-
European tribes famously called “Aryans”.

The Aryans, a confused bunch of semiliterate tribe, who didn’t know how to write or read depended
on “shruti” (who we think as glorified and associate our culture and race to them same as Hitler did,
and killed lakhs of Jews) who were perplexed in the developments and technological prowess going
on these part (as can be very well understood from Mahabharata). They were a bunch of nomadic
tribes and they slowly started entering the domain, with their leaders, beliefs etc. The position of
women in the tribe was inferior compared to the people dwelling in the lands of Meluha.

Now have you ever thought how come suddenly an indigenous, urban, a highly technical
civilization evolved out of nowhere within a span of only 1000 years whereas it was surrounded
by nomads all where. It’s a bit weird right? We are on the right track, yes dear reader, perception says
it that lack of evidence doesn’t mean we shouldn’t open our minds. There was a plausible growth of
technology and a whole superior civilization slowly resulted in the burnt bricks, drainage, granary,
and a highly secular multicultural society known as Indus which we still dream of. It went through
cycle of creations. Women enjoyed a free position or somewhat indifferent position in the society
of Meluha.

Aryans, jealous, confused, started entering the milieu, humiliated, destroyed and suppressed the
culture. Draupadi signifies that suppression. Draupadi is perhaps the eye opener to female
oppression (inculcated by Aryan culture) to this society where we still everyday distort our
women and we are a bunch of hypocritical feminists who fight for temple entry of women but
deny them the basic rights. Draupadi perhaps the genesis of feminism, in whom courage,
culture, rationalism, knowledge, practicality, reasoning is personified and each character is
symbolically represented with every detail in “Jayasamhita”. Hold on for more…

Now much more interesting evidences are, the so-called gods… which were introduced by
Aryans. Indra, Agni, Varuna. Mark the order.

Let’s think, Mohenjo-Daro was a fortified city and forts covered everything. To capture one had to
break them and this was done by, Indra (meaning breaker of forts , elephants were used in Indian
army later till Mughals and elephants were used to break forts ,“Indra” referred as “purandar” in
Vedas meaning breaker of forts, Vajra his weapon) Indra’s vahana, the elephant. The greatest of all
so called gods and we all know the depiction of his character how, he saw women, and was always
intoxicated in “Som Ras”, mentioned in Vedas itself...( anything ringing ??), He was an Aryan tribe
leader who broke in to Indus Valley and distorted the whole culture.

Coming to Agni it’s written in Vedas that Aryan foot never touched the land which wasn’t
cleansed by fire. In simpler terms remember “jhum cultivation” “shifting cultivation” or “slash and
burn” cultivation…still in practice in many parts of the world, by the nomadic agricultural tribes…
The man who set the civilization to catastrophic fire & evidences of charred remnants found in
Harappa were present. The fire god, Agni, perhaps you got it by now who he was. Aryans were none
other than nomad tribes practicing shifting cultivation, the most primitive form of agriculture.

Then Varuna, the god of wind rain etc. to quench the fire and to clear the settlements, another leader.
All set and done, entered the Aryans. They branded the remaining Harappans as “Dasyus” (huge
reference) had fights with the existing god “Shiva” (the leader of Meluhans) later incorporating them
into the stream itself.

The incorporation of “Vishnu”, and relating it with Krishna of Dwarka perhaps the most important
and influential man of times and “Brahma” the think tank was really ingenious ways to consolidate
everything by the Aryans.
So , the point is,“Draupadi” was characterless or not is not even the question, as character is a
perspective, set by the ups and downs, our genes pass through historically, as same happened
with us and Aryans (we replicate the same behaviour towards women) also. More important is
the symbols. And Mahabharata is a cryptographer’s relishing ground open to multiple meaningful
interpretations.

The saving of Draupadi , by Krishna is not the point, leave Krishna, or for that matter whoever it
was, but while saving the endless cloth, the endless drapery, suggests, that no matter how much
you disrobe, modesty is endless , virtuousness is endless , character is endless, beyond
physicality and can’t be robed off (Hope the modern world understands). The gamble signifies the
happenings of life, where whatever you lose the thing which remains is modesty, self-respect,
love and virtues or else life is immaterial and is worthless and point is that it can be lost in a
gamble too. The rationing mind of Draupadi, the logic, the questions, and other in-numerous
instances proved the main philosophy. We and the modern society missed it.

So the aim should be to discard the Aryanisation of thought depicted in Mahabharata or other
ancient texts which were perhaps later additions and superficial imagery. We should go for the
truth, go for reasoning, go for real questions and cultivate the meaning while understanding the
symbols. Then we can perceive that nothing is myth, nothing is science only right perspective
matters. That’s what should be the method to analyse and decipher the symbols.