Who Can I Turn To for Help ?
When your own abuse you, where do you turn for help ?
What can you do when your own hands are hell bent on hurting you ?
What can you do when your own bear witness against you ?
What can you do when your own house becomes a cage ?
What can you do when your own fail to protect you ?
Draupadi’s greatest “vitambana” (unspeakable problem) was that her own husbands had staked her on
a
game of chance in Kuru court.
Her own elders sat uselessly, sighing loudly, debating deeply, as Draupadi was insulted so
summarily in the open court of Kurus.
If it wasn’t for Krushna, who would have saved her in that court of despicable
“lajja-hin” (shameless) court of Kurus !
Draupadi was the daughter of a king, sister of might princes, wife of
an emperor, mother of five mighty princes, dauther-in-law of an ancient
dynasty, friends with some of the most powerful men and women in the country, adored
by the masses, blessed by holy sages and yet, there was no one to help her or
protect her on so many occasions in her life. All too often, Draupadi is reduced to
tears by insurmountable difficulties in her life. Though she has
everything society would consider “essential” for a good life, situations
conspired against her and 'life' chose to cause her pain at every turn.
Draupadi’s greatest complaint is that she has no one she can complain to.
Her own husband is an emperor. Her own grandsires are kings in the highest
court of the land. Her own family abused her – openly and publically – and
called it a legitimate use of their “rights” ! Her own rights were crushed
under legal precedence as kings of the Kuru race became bereft of any decency,
morality and ethics.
Since ancient times, women have complained about this. Countless women
have been in the same situation. Their own family, often members of their
own gender, keep them from achieving their potential. Who can they
complain to in such situations ? Life is unfair and yet, they have no one
to unburden their hearts to. Who can their unburden their hearts to ?
Like Draupadi, women have had to learn that they have to rely on their own inner
strength to survive. They have to awaken their inner goddess in order to
live with the world on their terms. Like Draupadi, women have usually leaned
this the hard way. Like Draupadi, women have survived by learning to be
“themselves”.
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