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Yajnaseni: The Story of Draupadi

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 76 ratings · 18 reviews

Strange as it may appear, Draupadi, the most accomplished heroine of Mahabharata happens to be the most suffering, sacrificing and yet the most misunderstood character, counted among the five supremely virtuous women, honored as 'Pancha Sati'. In mythology, the name Draupadi still bears stigma and is often contemptuously uttered by people in society.

Pratibha Ray makes a d...more

Paperback, 402 pages

Published January 1st 1995 by Rupa & Co

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Apr 06, 2013 Nick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: india, normal-literature, philosophy

I posted a spiffed up version of this review on my Indian history blog: http://videshisutra.wordpress.com/201...

It is a retelling of the Mahabharata from the viewpoint of the primary female protagonist: Draupadi. She is the wife of the 5 Pandava brothers, who are the heroes of the original story. If you've never read the original story you will probably find this confusing. The Mahabharata has a huge cast of characters and this book doesn't thoroughly introduce all of them. It was written by an...more

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Nick Exactly. Its almost like a bunch of patriarchal males from the bronze age wrote a female character who would conform to their highly privileged and fa...more
Sep 16, 2012 07:12am

Traveller No, i know what you mean. I've had discussions with friends here on GR about the racism of European Victorian authors as well before. How much should...more
Sep 16, 2012 08:13am

Feb 11, 2012 Vinoth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Vinoth by: Anjali

Shelves: indian-books-challenge, indian-mytho-epic-hist-books, read-in-2012, book-swap-reads

This is the First Book am reading on Mahabharata( including Mahabharata )Pratiba Ray has done a nice job in trying to portrait the Psychological picture of Draupadi .This book made me think a lot. made me compare the time when the Mahabharata Happened to the present time.Not many things make sense.the biggest problem i faced was Comprehending the Dharma which used to prevail during the time of Mahabharata.But am at least glad that everyone including Krishna is shown as a human/god with their own...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Aravind P rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: gender-politics, historical, indian-readers-challenge-2012, other-indian-languages, oriya

Draupadi is a symbol of Indian woman. A character culturalised to represent chastity. A role model created by male chauvinism to show case how they want their women to be. Pure, law abiding, beholder or their honour, personification of beauty and sacrifice.

Main thing here is that Pratibha Ray has put Draupadi into the stereotyped repesentation of Indian woman. It was like reading some Ekta Kapoor's tearjerker 'bahu' serial! Too much of melodrama and un-realistic dialogues and artificial emotions...more Draupadi is a symbol of Indian woman. A character culturalised to represent chastity. A role model created by male chauvinism to show case how they want their women to be. Pure, law abiding, beholder or their honour, personification of beauty and sacrifice.

Main thing here is that Pratibha Ray has put Draupadi into the stereotyped repesentation of Indian woman. It was like reading some Ekta Kapoor's tearjerker 'bahu' serial! Too much of melodrama and un-realistic dialogues and artificial emotions. Pratiba, instead of letting her be on her own truly, on the pretext of making a feminist book, has tried to garner more sympathies for Draupadi. To do that she had to change the other characters, like Bhima as a lecherous glutton like one of those dakoos of old movies. And Karna, ever since the original Mahabharata was written, this is one character that everybody wanted to re-define. A poor Aryan who had to live a humiliated life of a Dalit. This is nothing but an invention of a society which couldn't tolerate that a Dalit could be chivalrous. So they have to say that he is not actually a dalit but son of Sun! Why is is hard to accept that he was a Dalit! And the lovestory bit, what a bonkers. It is not that she can't fall in love with Karna due to morality issue. But just because the author was smitten by the tragic hero, she had to give him redemption by letting the heroine fall for him. Duh!

Draupadi here is someone who had to stay as a wife of 5 men, which was not a unique thing entirely because polyndary used to be practised in societies where matrilinear heirarchy used to be practised. But the thing here to be discussed is, is that really humiliating for a woman to marry more than one man? if so why? is it because of hte fear of what others would say? Unlike the case of polygamy, where a man can spend his time with any woman at any time, Draupadi was not given a chance like that, she had to follow a one year/husband policy, again this could be desputed as it is likely to be an alteration made by moral policymakers, people who cannot tolerate/accept a woman (having to)marrying more than one man. I guess even Pratibha Ray is one of them.

Main thing I didn't like, as I had mentioned above, was un-realistic sentiments. A woman who is depreived of all her personal freedom, was humiliated in a worse way in the front of family and elders, would have turned hard and bitter. The idea that women are peaceloving gender is a nonsense. Humans have emotions, anger is a prominent one. Draupadi had been a key figure in the war and just to put some anti-war message at the end, the author seems to have ruined the character of Draupadi, by making her a weak woman.

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Dec 16, 2012 Arun Divakar rated it 3 of 5 stars

The closest match that Draupadi of the Mahabharata has in the history of literature is perhaps Helen of Troy. The similarity between them however ends with the fact that they were both harbingers of extremely destructive wars that transformed history. Helen in comparison had a cake walk of a life when compared with Panchali is my observation. Let us look at reasons why : Married off at a young age according to the stipulations of a code of ethics she scarcely understood, never had a voice in d...more The closest match that Draupadi of the Mahabharata has in the history of literature is perhaps Helen of Troy. The similarity between them however ends with the fact that they were both harbingers of extremely destructive wars that transformed history. Helen in comparison had a cake walk of a life when compared with Panchali is my observation. Let us look at reasons why : Married off at a young age according to the stipulations of a code of ethics she scarcely understood, never had a voice in determining who her life partner should be, by a single word was she forced to accept polygamy, this one act continued to be the wound that the entire world (even in posterity) loved to sprinkle salt on, suffered the greatest insult ever to a woman's integrity, watched all her sons slain in the great war at Kurukshetra and finally in the journey to the netherworld all her husbands left her when she fell by the wayside bereft and orphaned...aren't these enough trials for a woman or let alone for a human being ? Draupadi is a blazing character from the epic and this is the epic through her eyes.

The name Yajnaseni symbolizes she who was born of the yajna (the sacrificial fire) which in another way is to say that she was not the biological daughter of her royal parents.After a show of strength which doubles up as the courting period, she is married off to a man she has heard of but never known of. In an age when words and promises were sacrosanct, one word by her mother-in-law ends up making her the wife of not one but five men : the Pandavas. While all the five men are different, their attitude towards her initially is more like that of a domestic animal and not rising beyond that. Draupadi while bound in her love for Arjun, sacrifices everything to keep the unity of the Pandava family intact. She tries many a time to break free of these chains of oppression but fails in every way. While the Ramayana is hailed as an epic of righteousness, Mahabharata is more humane in its machinations. It is mostly a history of oppression of women by men and the sly but ruthless moves by women which ends up tumbling empires ! Through insults, tribulations, joys, sorrows and laughter she carries her family through and sails forth into her life until the dice game with the Kauravas arrive.

I do not know nor comprehend if Krishna saved the dignity of Panchali on that day in the royal court of Hastinapur. All that I do know is that this is the grossest injustice a woman can be subjected to. The fact that learned,wise, chivalrous men gave silent nods of assent to Draupadi's violation at the hands of Duryodhan and his brothers makes this act all the more heinous. Since this entire story is written by a woman and told from a woman's point of view, the helplessness and the rawness of this one scene is unmatched throughout the entire tale. The best parts of Pratibha Ray's skills as a storyteller comes when she describes Draupadi's relation with her husbands.Her angst at the righteous and impeccable Yudhistir which is equal parts admiration and revulsion, the love laced with fear and respect for the titanic Bhim, sensual, poetic love for Arjun and motherly affection for Nakul and Sahdev are all captured very well here.

Inevitably, the Kurukshetra war arrives and danse macabre begins. The fabled war scenes are all muted in the tale for women never had a place in the battlefield here. There is however the heart wrenching pain at the death of sons, friends and blood relations. I have time and over been made to believe by the Mahabharata that war wins only corpses and nothing beyond it. Unknowingly Arjun slays his eldest brother Karna who knew he would be killed but being true to the word to his dearest friend, went down that day with satisfaction.All sons of the Pandavas are slain in their sleep and none save a grandson remain to carry forth their legacy. The incarnation of the divine, Krishna himself watches his entire clan kill off each other and later succumbs to the arrow of a hunter. Yudhistir becomes the king-emperor of a field of corpses ! How fickle is life ! Renouncing worldly pleasures, the five men and their wife travel through the Himalayas to reach the world of the divine. For all her attachment to life, Draupadi falls along the way and without a second glance the man walk away. Putting down the bundle of all her troubles at the feet of her life long friend Krishna, she departs from this world of sorrows.

After all these long descriptions , it is a matter of discomfort for me to say that this book's translation to English is a wonderful opportunity lost. The dialog is at times so sappy that I had to remind myself that it is not a soap opera ! It is an age old urban legend among many writers that the characters of epics need to speak language dipped in melodrama and dyed in flowery prose. My love for this epic and its characters made me turning pages but yes the dialog is an irritant here. Secondly, the books suffers from blind devotion to Krishna. While he remains the principle puppeteer of all the acts in the tale, here the author has painted him as an all knowing, supreme being with supernatural capabilities. Krishna is more closer to Odysseus in his brilliant strategy, oratory and diplomatic skills but here he becomes a god beyond anyone's comprehension. A good section of people subscribe to this view but it ever since I have read into the lines of the epic, this view has never sat too well with me.

It is a tale of being a woman in an exceedingly male chauvinistic society and of the inevitable fall of empires.

Just before I sat down to key in this review, on the news came up a title of an estranged father and mother selling off their 17 year old daughter to prostitution ! Draupadi was perhaps the symbol of such atrocities against women in the ages to come and men like Dushasan now don other more subtler garbs and walk free among us.(less)

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May 10, 2013 Sumeetha Manikandan rated it 4 of 5 stars

loved this book. Probably the most definitive book on one of the most controversial character in the history of epics. beautiful characterization of the draupadi. loved it. glad that I bought it.

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Dec 30, 2012 Anshu Raj Singh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This book changes your perspective. Many of us have read different accounts of Mahabharata. But narrators of all of them have been men whether Yudhisthira, Arjuna, Krishna, Karna. The protagonist of this book is a woman, Draupadi, and this fact differentiates it from others. The author has given a beautiful account of the mindset of Draupadi, both as a damsel and as the queen of Pandavas. Through this book Pratibha Ray tries to explain the condition of Draupadi and thus remove the stigma attache...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Anjali rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-recommend, mahabharta

Currently reading the english translated copy of Yajnaseni(Pratibha Ray) ..quite interesting...book is on draupadi...on the lines of PAlace of illusions if u have read it...I must admit that I have always had a sneaking fondness for the proud princess of Panchal. I have found in her a strength that is lacking in most other mythological heroines. Sita, I have always visualised as a doormat, but masculine culture will portray her as the womans softer side, while Draupadi is unabashedly and promine...more

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Jan 17, 2009 Claire S marked it as to-read

Recommended to Claire by: GR lists

Shelves: f_interpretations, form_complexia, historical, g_india-and, religion-morality, war-mltry-conflt-occ, global, meaning-life-etc, a-2-interest-wo-urgency, fiction-not-at-all, women, pov-content_global-of-location

From Wikipedia:

Pratibha Ray is an Indian academic and writer. She was born on 21 January 1943, at Alabol, a remote village in the Balikuda area of Cuttack district, Orissa state.

She is one of the famous commercially popular fiction writers in contemporary India. She writes novels and short stories in her mother tongue Oriya.Her first novel Barsa Basanta Baishakha, 1974 , proved itself as a best seller for its readability among rural female half literate readers. Later Pratibha developed the tend...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Ramakrishnan M rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have always been a fan of The Mahabharat story; I have read, in my childhood, The Amar Chitra Katha series, umpteen times. I have also seen several movies and tv version of the epic. So I was easily intrigued by this version....it is quite a unique way of sharing the tale - through the eyes of Draupadi.

In general, when you mention "Mahabharat" the first character that comes to mind is usually Arjun or Krishna; maybe even Yudishtra or Bheema; Draupadi, although at the heart of the 5-husband-sce...more

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Dec 11, 2009 Vijetha Suvarna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mythology, women

The legendary mythological story as many of us know has a very important character who is considered one of the main source for the deadly battle of Kurukshetra... 'Draupadi'!
The character of Draupadi, always has been misunderstood... its here in this book you get to read the real feminine side, human side, as a daughter, sister, wife, daughter-in-law, mother side of Draupadi

Amazingly written, by Pratibha Ray, with a steady flow of emotions and justified situations and moments that make you pond...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Puja Kathait rated it 2 of 5 stars

A fictional peek into the psyche of the most misunderstood character of mahabharat.
It's different, apologetic at times, but mostly amusing.
I thought it would give me some good, justified answers to why everyone did, what they did to draupadi; but a little disappoinment on that.
Not amazing, but surely a different read!

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Aug 21, 2010 Avinash rated it 4 of 5 stars

this is the book that chitra banerjee divakaruni's "the palace of illusions" is trying to be, and fails.

you want the mahabharata in draupadi's voice? this is the definitive book. i read it years ago, and still remember certain sections, like the swayamvara. heavy, ornate, detailed, painstaking, gorgeous book.

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Apr 16, 2013 Bapunnayakb rated it 5 of 5 stars

a very enriched novel both by vocabulary and characters.a must read for every lady,it completely changes your misogynist approach towards Draupadi,truly significant for the stands of woman in society now a days.

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May 13, 2013 Gauri rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the first and the finest books ever written from the perspective of Draupadi. This is a narrative from Draupadi on her life long battle with injustices and betrayals that were thrown her way. The injustices and humiliation at the hands of her husband Yudhishthir and the Kauravas and finally her ultimate revenge that resulted in the greatest battle of all.

One of the quotes that I shall always remember from the book:
Life is sacrifice from the minute you step into this world and God is your...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Anuja marked it as to-read

I don't fancy reading the same story I already read, but it would be interesting to compare this to 'The Palace of Illusions'

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Dec 06, 2010 Anasuya added it

Wow! Finally some insight into this great Empress' thoughts and feelings. A treasure! A heart touching and changing story!

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Feb 09, 2013 Biji added it

Shelves: draupaty

very good collection

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Jan 27, 2013 Reshmi Sajeesh rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story of Panjali told by the Yajnaseni herself who was destined to avenge her father's insult even before she was born...She was the weapon for preserving dharma and destroying evil from the earth. What a wonderful turn of events...Wonderfully written by Pratibha Ray, woman herself, but highly disappointing translation.

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