KumaravyasaBharata : SabhaParva - Part 2
1) Sabha Parva starts with Maya building the palace of illusions in Indraprasta for pandavas. Rajasuya yaaga, Shishupala Harana, Draupadi Vastrapaharana are main contents of Sabha Parva. Rayasuya Yaga was shared earlier under Part 1 :)
2) Krishna's endearing love is shown in how he warns each of the pandavas before leaving to dwaraka after yaaga. He asks Draupadi to not trust weatlh and kingship, asks yudhistira to not bow down to 4 evils mainly drinking, gambling, women and moha saying that has been the destruction for all ancestors like Dasharatha and Nala. One gets a feeling that Krishna is so worried of coming future and he tries hard to warn the pandavas. Vyasa also expresses frank opinion in Yudhistira that the coming future does not look happy or calm for yudhistira and he should not leave dharma and satya at any cost even if someone dares hold his wife by her hair!
3) It is not seen in Kumaravyasa Bharatha that "Draupadi laughed at Duryodhana" at Maya palace or that she called him "Son of a blind man". However, While Duryodhana narrates his embarassment and insult to his father, he mentions Draupadi and all 4 brothers (except yudhistira) laughed at him when he falls in water. One can either trust narrator's version as truth or duryodhana's version.
4) Yudhistira loses game after game, because of his ego and pride initially. when he loses all his kingdom, wealth and treasure, it is said that, he sees the back of Rajya Lakshmi infront of eyes. When he has lost his kingdom, his people, his cattles, war animals, his role of a king comes over and above than that of his role of brother, hence he goes on to bet on his brothers and himself to keep up the dharma of a king, to keep fighting to win back the lost battle. Once he loses himself, he becomes enslaved to Duryodhana who then asks to bet his wife and he is obliged to follow as his slave.
5) Draupadi asks the dyutha who comes to call her "How is it fare to lose me if he has himself lost first in the game before betting me"? (There is a detailed reasoning of how bhisma and others kept mum for this question to benefit draupadi in "yuganta" book by Iravati Karve (i still have to read this book)). Vidura opposes to Duryodhana for his atrocities but it goes in vain. Bheema finally seems to get full sense of what happened and asks sahadeva to bring some fire so he can burn Yudhistiras arms for playing dice and causing this situation. He is calmed by Arjuna. The upbringing of Kunti plays a major role in how they are advised to follow yudhistira in every step just because he is elder to other brothers. Another dutiful aspect of Dharma!
6) Karna calls Draupadi as "Vyeshye". There is a criticism that kumaravyasa bharatha portrays karna in a very bad manner than the real one. Unsure of the real deal as this is the only one Im currently listening.
7) Here are Draupadi's words at the altar when dushyasana humiliates her: "Patigalu yennanu Maari Dharma sthitiya Kondaru, Bhisma modalada athirataru para hitava bisutaru vyartha bheetiyali". It is noted that "Purusha Prayatna yella maadida nantara Daivada moree hogabeku", hence she is seen pleading everyone at the court (Bhisma, Drona, Kripa, Gandhari, Bhanumati, her husbands, all citizens, all kings and their wives etc) before turning to Krishna, whom she respects in the form of Guru and her god.
8) When Krishna saves Draupadi, Duryodhana and Karna continue to taunt that she cannot deny she is their slave. Draupadi curses Duryodhana saying Bheema will squeeze every blood out of him. She vows not to tie her loose hair until Dushyashana is killed by Bheema. Bheema promises to rip apart Duryodhanas thighs and see an end to Dushyasana. Arjuna vows to kill Karna. Sahadeva vows to kill Shakuni. Nakula vows to kill Shakuni's son Uluka. When nature acts as proof for their burning anger with earthquakes, fox cries and all possible superstitions, Bhisma, Drona and Kripacharya ask Dhritharastra to plead and ask forgiveness to DRaupadi. Dhristarastra trembles with fear and asks her for any boon she would wish and he would grant:
Boon 1: She asks to free her husbands slavery.
Boon 2: Grant back my husbands their horses, chariots, elephants, weapons
He wants to grant a 3rd boon, by getting pleased with her asks on first two boons, where she puts her husbands first, despite the humiliation she faced, Draupdai denies laughing saying:
It is against Kshtriya dharma to ask 3 boons, because:
Vyshas - can ask only 1 boon
Raja Patni (queens) - can ask only 2 boons
Raja (Kings) - can ask only 3
Brahmanas - can ask any number of boons!
Dhrisharastra still says he will grant 3rd one and sends them back to Indraprasta with all his wealth and kingdom. Note that all this rescue drama happens in the absence of Karna, Duryodhana and his brothers but Gandhari is present and is in agreement with Dhritarastra.
9) Back in hastinapur, Duryodhana emotionally blackmails his dad, and makes Dritarastra to send message to ask over pandavas to come once again to play a last game of dice, all in good terms to end the negative effect of all that had occured. Gandhari, tries to stop her husband but his putramoha overcomes his ability to heed any advice. Yudhistira wants to go upon his respect to his dodappa, Bheema opposes saying: "After all that had occured, are they blackguards (bhanda) to call again for a game, or to go despite their call, are we the blackguards (bhanda)) and Dhowmya rishi foretells the future if they go and attend. Yudhistira again bound by dharma principle, not to reject his dodappa request, expresses his opinion but leaves the option to his brothers this time to decide. Unable to hurt his brother, they all agree to go. In this game of dice, they keep wealth betting off limits but agree to 12 years of exile followed by 1 year of exile in disguise failing which punishment loops. Pandavas lose!
10) Gandhari repents for not killing Duryodhana at his birth (Vidura seems to have advised her so during his birth). She is even sad looking at Draupadi's fate with her husbands. whole Pandavas wealth gets shifted to Kauravas in trasfering the kingship of Indraprasta people and family (5 kids of Draupadi and Abhimanyu). Kunti is left behind citing old age, under the care of Vidura in his home, upon vidura's advice.
2) Krishna's endearing love is shown in how he warns each of the pandavas before leaving to dwaraka after yaaga. He asks Draupadi to not trust weatlh and kingship, asks yudhistira to not bow down to 4 evils mainly drinking, gambling, women and moha saying that has been the destruction for all ancestors like Dasharatha and Nala. One gets a feeling that Krishna is so worried of coming future and he tries hard to warn the pandavas. Vyasa also expresses frank opinion in Yudhistira that the coming future does not look happy or calm for yudhistira and he should not leave dharma and satya at any cost even if someone dares hold his wife by her hair!
3) It is not seen in Kumaravyasa Bharatha that "Draupadi laughed at Duryodhana" at Maya palace or that she called him "Son of a blind man". However, While Duryodhana narrates his embarassment and insult to his father, he mentions Draupadi and all 4 brothers (except yudhistira) laughed at him when he falls in water. One can either trust narrator's version as truth or duryodhana's version.
4) Yudhistira loses game after game, because of his ego and pride initially. when he loses all his kingdom, wealth and treasure, it is said that, he sees the back of Rajya Lakshmi infront of eyes. When he has lost his kingdom, his people, his cattles, war animals, his role of a king comes over and above than that of his role of brother, hence he goes on to bet on his brothers and himself to keep up the dharma of a king, to keep fighting to win back the lost battle. Once he loses himself, he becomes enslaved to Duryodhana who then asks to bet his wife and he is obliged to follow as his slave.
5) Draupadi asks the dyutha who comes to call her "How is it fare to lose me if he has himself lost first in the game before betting me"? (There is a detailed reasoning of how bhisma and others kept mum for this question to benefit draupadi in "yuganta" book by Iravati Karve (i still have to read this book)). Vidura opposes to Duryodhana for his atrocities but it goes in vain. Bheema finally seems to get full sense of what happened and asks sahadeva to bring some fire so he can burn Yudhistiras arms for playing dice and causing this situation. He is calmed by Arjuna. The upbringing of Kunti plays a major role in how they are advised to follow yudhistira in every step just because he is elder to other brothers. Another dutiful aspect of Dharma!
6) Karna calls Draupadi as "Vyeshye". There is a criticism that kumaravyasa bharatha portrays karna in a very bad manner than the real one. Unsure of the real deal as this is the only one Im currently listening.
7) Here are Draupadi's words at the altar when dushyasana humiliates her: "Patigalu yennanu Maari Dharma sthitiya Kondaru, Bhisma modalada athirataru para hitava bisutaru vyartha bheetiyali". It is noted that "Purusha Prayatna yella maadida nantara Daivada moree hogabeku", hence she is seen pleading everyone at the court (Bhisma, Drona, Kripa, Gandhari, Bhanumati, her husbands, all citizens, all kings and their wives etc) before turning to Krishna, whom she respects in the form of Guru and her god.
8) When Krishna saves Draupadi, Duryodhana and Karna continue to taunt that she cannot deny she is their slave. Draupadi curses Duryodhana saying Bheema will squeeze every blood out of him. She vows not to tie her loose hair until Dushyashana is killed by Bheema. Bheema promises to rip apart Duryodhanas thighs and see an end to Dushyasana. Arjuna vows to kill Karna. Sahadeva vows to kill Shakuni. Nakula vows to kill Shakuni's son Uluka. When nature acts as proof for their burning anger with earthquakes, fox cries and all possible superstitions, Bhisma, Drona and Kripacharya ask Dhritharastra to plead and ask forgiveness to DRaupadi. Dhristarastra trembles with fear and asks her for any boon she would wish and he would grant:
Boon 1: She asks to free her husbands slavery.
Boon 2: Grant back my husbands their horses, chariots, elephants, weapons
He wants to grant a 3rd boon, by getting pleased with her asks on first two boons, where she puts her husbands first, despite the humiliation she faced, Draupdai denies laughing saying:
It is against Kshtriya dharma to ask 3 boons, because:
Vyshas - can ask only 1 boon
Raja Patni (queens) - can ask only 2 boons
Raja (Kings) - can ask only 3
Brahmanas - can ask any number of boons!
Dhrisharastra still says he will grant 3rd one and sends them back to Indraprasta with all his wealth and kingdom. Note that all this rescue drama happens in the absence of Karna, Duryodhana and his brothers but Gandhari is present and is in agreement with Dhritarastra.
9) Back in hastinapur, Duryodhana emotionally blackmails his dad, and makes Dritarastra to send message to ask over pandavas to come once again to play a last game of dice, all in good terms to end the negative effect of all that had occured. Gandhari, tries to stop her husband but his putramoha overcomes his ability to heed any advice. Yudhistira wants to go upon his respect to his dodappa, Bheema opposes saying: "After all that had occured, are they blackguards (bhanda) to call again for a game, or to go despite their call, are we the blackguards (bhanda)) and Dhowmya rishi foretells the future if they go and attend. Yudhistira again bound by dharma principle, not to reject his dodappa request, expresses his opinion but leaves the option to his brothers this time to decide. Unable to hurt his brother, they all agree to go. In this game of dice, they keep wealth betting off limits but agree to 12 years of exile followed by 1 year of exile in disguise failing which punishment loops. Pandavas lose!
10) Gandhari repents for not killing Duryodhana at his birth (Vidura seems to have advised her so during his birth). She is even sad looking at Draupadi's fate with her husbands. whole Pandavas wealth gets shifted to Kauravas in trasfering the kingship of Indraprasta people and family (5 kids of Draupadi and Abhimanyu). Kunti is left behind citing old age, under the care of Vidura in his home, upon vidura's advice.
*Note: These are personal notes based off on recordings heard from Kumaravyasa bharatha (Karnata Bharatha Kathaamanjari) vyakhyana from Muttor Krishnamoorthy and Hosahalli Keshavamoorthy.
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