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Geeta in Literature "The Palace of Illusions"

May 11, 2012

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has written a book "The Palace of Illusions" which is story of the Mahabharata written from Draupadi's point of view. I enjoyed every page of it and it is high on my list of recommendations. There is one particular segment that caught my attention and I think it is relevant to this blog. Here is Draupadi as she imagines the Pandava prince's palace:

Though I suspected Kunti's words, they fired my eagerness to see my new home. I fantasized about a structure that would, in every way, be the opposite of my father's fortress: air and effulgent, with windows everywhere and doors opening onto generous balconies. Its walls would be shimmering red sandstone. Its gardens would be a celebration of color and birdsong. Situated on the topmost floor, my rooms would be washed by breezes carrying the distant fragrance of mango blossoms. From a balcony inlaid with marble I would look out over the entire city and know what was going on, so that when Yudhisthir became king, I could advise him wisely.

If Dhai Ma had been in the carriage, she would have known right away what I was thinking. She would have clicked her tongue and puffed out her bottom lip and warned me with one of her favorite sayings: Expectations are like hidden rocks in your path - all they do is trip you up.

That quote of Draupadi's Dhai ma comes true in more ways than the Pandava Queen can imagine. While, Chitra-ji does tell the story of Draupadi's disrobing, I do wish she had drawn out the drama of Draupadi's questions to the Kuru stalwarts. There is an excellent episode in the Mahabharata series that illustrates the power of Draupadi challenging the most powerful men in the kingdom. Here is a Youtube link to one powerful little segment.


Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post
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  1. britiain formeMay 14, 2012 at 4:46 AM

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  2. sadhakaMay 18, 2012 at 9:18 PM

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    ReplyDelete

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