DRAUPADI 'S COMPASSION

Draupadi’s Compassion

The great Mahabharatha war ended with the annihilation of the Kaurava clan. The survivors were Krupacharya, Krutha varma and Aswatthama. He wanted to wreak vengeance on the Pandavas and went to their Camp at night. But they were not present there. He saw Draupadi’s five children and her brother whom he killed mercilessly. Not satisfied with this dark deed, he set fire to the camp. Draupadi and the Pandavas were shocked and petrified at this ghastly murder of the five children at one stroke. Draupadi’s sorrow knew no bounds. Arjuna vowed to kill Aswatthama and bring him to fall on her feet. Meanwhile Aswatthama ran for his life but Arjuna pursued and captured him.

Still in his frenzy to root out the Pandavas, Aswatthama invoked the terrible astra' Brahmasirsha’ and released it. The entire sky reddened under the effect of the astra. Arjuna felt it's unbearable heat all over his body and asked Krishna for guidance. The Lord suggested that Arjuna should send the same astra to attack the one sent by Aswatthama as there was no other alternative. Arjuna did as he was bid. It appeared that the whole world  would be destroyed by the clash of the two deadly weapons. Alarmed at this sudden development, renowned sages came down from their abodes and asked both the warriors to withdraw their astraslest there may be the deluge or Prajaya dissolving the entire universe. They said that the two astras should never clash against each other. Arjuna, heeding the words of the rishis withdrew his weapon but Aswatthama could not do so. Instead he directed the astra towards the child in the womb of Uttara, the wife of Abhimanyu!

Having captured Aswatthama, Arjuna bound him hand and foot and dragged him along to Krishna. Krishna directed Arjuna to to kill Aswatthama without any conscientious scruple in the same way as he killed the five children mercilessly. But Arjuna hesitated. Aswatthama was his friend and the son of his mentor Dronacharya. He took him to Draupadi and the other Pandavas and asked her to decide the punishment and fate of the merciless murderer Aswatthama. Draupadi had not yet recovered from the terrible tragedy that had befallen her. She did not know what to do when confronted with this sudden situation. Bheema was very angry and the others too were highly emotional. They wanted drastic punishment for the perpetrator of this heinous crime.

In spite of her indescribable sorrow, Draupadi managed to control herself. She was sorry to see Aswatthama bound hand and foot and in a pathetic condition. She thought about his mother who would lose her only son if he is killed. As a mother she realized the pangs of another mother at the loss of her son! She did not like to see Aswatthama bound hand and foot. She asked Arjuna to set him free. With a heart full of compassion she asked him to go away to any  distant place he liked. Arjuna was amazed at the tolerance and mercy of Draupadi. Though surprised at the verdict of Draupadi, Yudhishtira and others appreciated her decision. But Bheema was seething with anger.

Aswatthama remained with his head bent down. He was crestfallen and humiliated! He had already lost his radiance due to his unholy acts.  Arjuna plucked out the precious stone from the head of Aswatthama which was equal to beheading him! This disgrace was to him worse than death itself. Arjuna freed him and let him go. Thus Draupadi returned love and compassion to the most cruel and heartless Aswatthama and set an example to others! It is compassion and love that elevates man to Divinity. Even the inveterate enemy has to be shown mercy and love!