Review of “Yajnaseni: The Story of Draupadi” by Pratibha Ray
Mohan Gulrajani
Unveiling Draupadi’s Untold Saga: Yajnaseni Book Review
Dive into the profound narrative of Draupadi’s life, often overshadowed by history. Pratibha Ray empowers her with a voice in “Yajnaseni.”
Another retelling of the classic Indian epic, “Mahabharata”, “Yajnaseni: The Story of Draupadi” by Pratibha Ray (translated by Pradip Bhattacharya) is bound to make one question about things that one probably never thought about that deeply. While reading the original epic it may be hard for one to relate to the character of Draupadi as she often is ready to take drastic steps to preserve Dharma on Earth. But this particular work gives us an insight as to how at the end of the day she is still a human and no matter how much she may try to not stray away from the path of Dharma, her human instincts will still make her second guess the road of Dharma especially when things don’t work out in her favour.
However, it was not so elaborately described in the classic epic as the focus was more on the entire tale rather than just one character. But given that Ray dedicated the entire book to Draupadi’s cause, it only makes sense for her to do justice to Draupadi’s character by showing all probable sides of her in different situations that the “Mahabharata” deprived us of.
Yajnaseni: The Story of Draupadi: A Closer Look
Taking certain creative liberties, though Ray has based “Yajnaseni: The Story of Draupadi” on Ved Vyasa’s Mahabharata, she has also taken elements from Sarala Das’s Odia Mahabharata. Starting at the foothills of Mount Sumeru, the book opens with Yajnaseni taking her final breaths before she closes the book of her life. It is in this dire moment left alone to die that she starts recounting her tale from the very beginning and how it led to her final moments in the form of a long letter to her dear friend Krishna. Thus, we can say that the novel is indeed written in epistolary form.
Recounting all her life events from her birth from the sacrificial fire to spending her life as a forest dweller as a result of being a wife to a Brahmin and leaving her life of luxury behind to gaining it back to facing humiliation at the hands of Kauravs to playing an integral role in the famous Kurukshetra War. “Yajnaseni: The Story of Draupadi” covers all the major events of the classic epic, but this time instead of seeing a righteous and composed Draupadi, we see a Draupadi who is filled with questions and is unable to understand why she must sacrifice almost everything in the name of Dharma? Especially when in most situations she feels she is unjustly put in a predicament and is asked to take a side which is not beneficial to her in any way such as the events that led to her marrying the five Pandavas. By giving Draupadi and her doubts centre stage, Ray shows how truly complex of a character Draupadi is.
Yajnaseni: The Story of Draupadi: A Feminist Tale
Being learned and able to discriminate between the good and the bad, she is unable to understand why many of these ancient spiritual scriptures give such rigid guidelines for women to follow yet she is always kept in the shadows, and it is the man who takes all the glory. Why is it considered socially acceptable for a man to marry as many wives as he wishes but if a woman has more than one husband at a time then she is considered to be unchaste? Posing questions like a true feminist during an era dominated by patriarchy which was further substantiated by spiritual scriptures and social norms, Ray’s depiction of Draupadi’s character lends a feminist lens to the classic epic.
Further, Ray’s usage of first-person narrative helps her connect Draupadi with her readers on a very personal level. Draupadi’s vivid descriptions and imagery only enhance the reader’s sensory experience as one tries to navigate their way through the mind of Panchali and make the connection with the events happening around her. The deep relationship between Draupadi and Krishna can hardly be ignored. Although he is the puppeteer behind the entire epic, Draupadi’s devotion to him blinds her to see how her dear sakha is the one ensuring that Draupadi doesn’t escape any of the predicaments that she is supposed to go through in that lifetime as it’s necessary for the establishment of Dharma on Earth. As she transitions from different roles of a daughter to wife to the five Pandavas to a daughter-in-law to a Queen, the readers are left awestruck at her resolve to do her best in all the roles given that each of them demands different things from her especially her role as wives to five men where she must try to be suitable for each of them.
Afterword
From the way, Draupadi doesn’t hesitate to question the authority of a man when necessary such as when Yudhishthir staked Draupadi in a game of dice, which prompted her to question how Yudhishthir can even think of treating his wife as if she is his property and not a person?
“What is this behaviour of Yudhishthir? Does even the most immoral uncivilized gambler ever stake his wife? Has anyone ever done such a detestable act in the history of the world?” (Yajnaseni: The Story of Draupadi)
To her ability to blaze through life like the fire of the sacrificial altar she took birth from, we get to see how well-rounded of a character she truly is. From her miraculous birth to her serving as one of the catalysts that led to the famous Kurukshetra War to her realizing the gravity of the loss that she suffered as a result of the war, to finally her journey to enlightenment as she made her way to Mount Sumeru, “Yajnaseni: The Story of Draupadi” ensures to add more personality to the character of Draupadi, as she doesn’t shy away from demanding justice for herself or giving her unfiltered social commentary on the patriarchal society which was the norm back then. Pratibha Ray elevates Draupadi’s character and helps us understand her predicament and personality better.
https://www.thetalentedindian.com/unveiling-draupadis-untold-saga-yajnaseni-book-review/
Professor (Dr.) M. L. Gulrajani F.S.D.C. (UK)
Former Professor and Dean (I.R&D), IIT Delhi
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