'She's dead. Half of her died the day when everyone she had loved and counted on to save her sat without protest and watched her being shamed. The other half perished with her beloved home. But never fear. The woman who has taken her place will gouge a deeper mark into history than that naïve girl ever imagined.'
- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, 'The Palace of Illusions"
For a long time, the ancient texts of Sanatan Dharma, as well as the Indian society, looked at women as devis but also as subordinates (To some extent, they still do). Pativratas were praised and those who were rulers of their own life were looked down upon. Women were called ‘Ghar ki Laxmi’ but also blamed if any catastrophe struck the family. Likewise, even Draupadi has been given the title of pativrata but has also been called kritya (one who brings doom on her clan) since time immemorial. Her personality has always fascinated me. She always stood out from the crowd. But was an ever silent and mysterious yet powerful character of Mahabharata. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni gives her the voice to tell her side of the story. According to the introductory note, the writer was unsatisfied by the portrayal of women in Mahabharata ( just like me) and so she decided to write this book. The writer weaves out a wonderful story without being dull and repetitive. It takes courage to play with such a well-known and revered text. What is unique about this book is the story’s narrative. Draupadi narrates the story from her perspective. Thus we see the great chapters of Mahabharata unravel, through the lens of a woman.
She takes us through a journey from an ambitious, daring girl to becoming a confident and arrogant woman. The fire princess recounts the story of her life as she looks back at it. She shares her joy, anger, jealousy, regrets that she felt at different points of time in her life. The story begins from her childhood in Panchala, where she lived her life under the shadows of her father and an overbearing mother. Chitra Banerjee portrays her as a young, fiery girl who wants to conquer the world and break away the shackles of patriarchy and tradition. Chitra Banerjee follows the story along the lines of the ancient text and shows us that she marries five Pandava brothers. But this time we come to know that Draupadi goes against her wishes and marries all of them at the command of Kunti. Just like society dictates her to. But the way she narrates Draupadi's pain of sharing herself with five men is so compelling that you can't help but empathize with her. After her marriage, she then makes her way into becoming the most influential queen of Hastinapur. Banerjee’s description of internal politics is riveting and I'm sure it can beat all the saas-bahu serials of the modern era.
Many times, writers glorify their protagonists to such an extent that they are frightened to show their negative aspects, in case it tarnishes their character's image. But the writer in this book has not refrained herself from showing the vices of Panchali. She is greedy for a grand palace filled with illusions. And once her wishes are fulfilled, she becomes arrogant with pride. Chitra Banerjee doesn't try to justify her wrongdoings and neither does she glorify her virtues.
"When you have everything, hold back your laughter and when you have nothing, hold back your curse."
But the part for which I was waiting for the most, was the infamous chapter of Mahabharata- Draupadi's vastraharan. Whenever I heard about the cruel, inhuman treatment and the humiliation that she had to go through, it always made me wonder what she must have felt, standing in the middle of the court. And Chitra Banerjee didn't disappoint. Her powerful words had such an impact, that I could almost feel her pain, anger, humiliation seep into me. It made me feel as if I was the one standing in that courtroom.
The writer also beautifully depicts the relationship of the protagonist with other characters of the epic. Like her friendship with her mentor and brother Krishna. Their relationship is subtle and unique which couldn’t be categorised into any one type. The lessons that Krishna teaches Draupadi throughout the book are insightful. At one point, when Panchali gets complex about her dark skin, Krishna says, “A problem becomes a problem only if you believe it to be so. And often others see you as you see yourself.” I loved these little pieces of advice from Krishna in the book. They could be applied in our lives as well.
The writer also delves into Draupadi's feelings for her husbands and Karna too. These relationships and feelings of the queen might be an interpretation of the writer and not the part of the actual Mahabharata. But they let us explore the deep, hidden emotions of the queen. Chitra Banerjee adds a twist to the tale by writing about Draupadi’s secret love for Karna. This new take on Mahabharata, which almost inches towards the extramarital affair is a bold move from the writer. Her feelings were so well articulated that I rooted for Draupadi and Karna to come together, forgetting this was already based on a well known epic.
The later part of the book is heartbreaking though, just like the actual text of Mahabharata. Draupadi, from being a princess to becoming the chief queen and mistress of the grand palace of illusions, everything took place quickly. But she also fell from grace just as quickly. We all have heard that Draupadi was the weapon of Krishna which he used to begin the war. She was the 'reason' for the war. But this book gave me a different perspective. Chitra Banerjee, in her own subtle way, leads us to believe that every single character was a pawn in this game. And each one of them became the cause of the war. So it would be wrong for us to believe that only Panchali was at fault.
I'm really glad that Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni wrote this book because it questions a lot of things that we didn't even think to ask about earlier. Our preconceived notions stop us from doing so. When Draupadi comes to Hastinapur after marrying the Pandavas, Ved Vyasa grants her a boon that converts her into a virgin after she spends time with one husband. It is then that Draupadi questions this boon and makes us wonder as well- why does this boon seem more in favour of her husbands than Draupadi. What Draupadi had wished for was to forget the time she spent with one husband, when she goes to spend with another. Each story has two sides. We should never conclude without hearing both of them. Maybe we never gave Draupadi a chance to explain her side of the story.
You can read "The Palace of Illusions' here
Sources: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, 'The Palace of Illusions', Vintage books, India, 2008.
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