Living by Their Own Norms an Apsara Adrika Who Is Turned Into Unique Powers of the Panchkanyas a Fish by a Curse
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common feature shared by Part V: Five Holy Virgins, Five Sacred Myths all the five panchkanyas is A“motherlessness.” The births of Ahalya, Tara, Mandodari and Draupadi are unnatural; none have a mother. Satyavati is born of Living by Their Own Norms an apsara Adrika who is turned into Unique Powers of the Panchkanyas a fish by a curse. In emerging from the elements, Tara, Ahalya, Pradip Bhattacharya Mandodari and Draupadi resemble the ocean-born apsaras. We know nothing of Pritha-Kunti’s mother. Motherless Gandhakali-Satyavati In the earlier instalments we have, first, considered the three kanyas and Pritha are given away by their of the Ramayana—Ahalya, Tara and Mandodari—followed, in the fathers Uparichara Vasu and Shura second instalment, by Satyavati who shares many features that in childhood. Kunti finds no foster- distinguish her grand daughter-in-law Kunti whose remarkable mother and her only succour is an character and deeds were examined in the third part. In the last old midwife. Matsyagandha- issue we looked at Kunti’s daughter-in-law, Draupadi. In this Satyavati does not even have that. concluding piece we seek to find answers to the question with As adolescents, both are left by their foster-fathers, the Dasa chief and which we began: why are these five women termed ‘Kanyas’ Kuntibhoja, to the mercies of two “(virgins)” and what is the secret of their being celebrated as having eccentric sages and become unwed redemptive qualities. mothers with no option but to discard their first-borns. Indeed, scholars beginning with Chitrangada’s Babhruvahana— If Draupadi had hoped to find her Bankimchandra over a hundred years Draupadi’s five sons are nothing more missing mother in her mother-in-law, ago, have questioned the very fact than names and might have been she is tragically deceived, as Kunti of her maternity since, unlike the interpolated. The South Indian thrusts her into a polyandrous other Pandava progeny— Draupadi cult specifically states that marriage that exposes her to Hidmimba’s Ghatotkacha, Subhadra’s her sons were not products of coitus salacious gossip reaching a Abhimanyu, Ulupi’s Iravan and but were born from drops of blood horrendous climax in Karna declaring that fell when, in her terrifying Kali her a whore whose being clothed or form, her nails pierced Bhima’s hand.1 naked is immaterial. As if that were Draupadi is a sterile Shri, like not enough, Kunti urges her to take Jyeshtha or Alakshmi. Her special care of her fifth husband, solitariness as a kanya is stressed Sahadeva, as a mother! No other explicitly after the war when woman has had to face this peculiar Yudhishthira tells Gandhari that the predicament of dealing with five Panchalas are exterminated, leaving husbands now as spouse, then as only a kanya as their remainder: elder or younger brother-in-law (to “pancalah subhrisham kshinah be treated like a father or as a son kanyamatra vasheshitah”.2 respectively) in an endless cycle. Ahalya and Satyavati are also not Draupadi’s motherlessness seems known for maternal qualities. Valmiki to be carried forward into her own has not a word to say about the lack of maternal feelings. Her five mother-son relationship between sons are not even nurtured by her. Ahalya and Shatananda. Ahalya’s She sends them to Panchala and son abandons her and lives follows her husbands into exile to comfortably in Janaka’s court, ensure that the wounds of injustice expressing relief that she is finally and insult inflicted upon them and Ahalya with Ram acceptable in society following herself remain ever fresh. Rama’s visit. Vyasa is abandoned by No.145 30 both parents and attributes his at least one more wife. She never has survival to chance (see issue 143). Arjuna for herself, as he marries These kanyas remain Ulupi, Chitrangada and has Subhadra quintessentially virgins and, except as his favourite. Yudhishthira pledges for Kunti, hardly ever assume the her like chattel at dice. Finally, they persona of mother. leave her to die alone on the This feature of being rejected- mountainside at the mercy of wild and-rejecting-in-turn that is a beasts, like a pauper, utterly rikta, recurring leit motif with the kanya is drained in every sense.4 not just of antiquary interest. It In her long poem “Kurukshetra” recurs in one of the most significant Amreeta Syam conveys the angst of explorations of the Bengali woman’s Panchali, born unasked for, bereft of struggle to step into the modern age father, brothers, sons and her beloved by experimenting with new ways of sakha Krishna: motherhood: Ashapurna Debi’s “Draupadi has five husbands—but trilogy Pratham Pratisruti, she has none— Subarnalata and Bakul Katha. The She had five sons—and was never a heroine, significantly named mother… Satyabati, is “abandoned” by her Sivadas of Kalamandalam enacting The Pandavas have given father who gives her away in child- the role of Draupadi Draupadi… marriage at the age of eight. When No joy, no sense of victory and is a social outcast. Kunti loses she gives birth to her son, she No honour as wife her parents and then her husband simultaneously receives news of her No respect as mother — twice over (first to Madri and then mother’s death. She struggles to Only the status of a Queen… when he dies in Madri’s arms). educate her children in a new urban But they have all gone Satyavati is abandoned by Parashara milieu of a nuclear family. In her And I’m left with a lifeless jewel after he has enjoyed her, loses her absence, her daughter Subarna is And an empty crown… husband Shantanu, both royal sons also married off at the age of eight. my baffled motherhood and one grandson (Pandu), while Thereupon Satyabati physically Wrings its hands and strives to another is blind and the third cannot turns away from the wedding, weep.”5 be king because her daughter-in-law abandoning her daughter on the Ambika deceived her and sent in her The Unique Ahalya threshold of motherhood, repeating low-caste maid to Vyasa. The Among the five, Ahalya remains the desertion she herself had kingdom, for which she manoeuvred unique because of the nature of her experienced. The pattern repeats Devavrata into becoming Bhishma, daring and its consequence. Her itself when Subarna, receiving news slips through her fingers like sand. single transgression, for having done of her mother’s death, finds herself Seeing her great grandchildren at what her femininity demanded, calls unable to think of her own daughter. each other’s throats, she realises the down an awful curse. Because of her It is a patriarchal society’s tradition grim truth of Vyasa’s warning, “the of enforced motherlessness that the unflinching acceptance of the green years of the earth are gone” sentence, both Vishvamitra and novels seek to challenge at the cost and leaves for the forest, so as not to of the heroines being regarded as Valmiki glorify her. Chandra Rajan, witness the suicide of her race another sensitive poet of today, aberrant mothers. Ashapurna Debi (I.128.6, 9). Strangely, her son Vyasa catches the psychological nuances: questions the traditional concept of tells us nothing of her end. motherhood which confines woman Mandodari loses husband, sons, “Gautama cursed his impotence and to the role of a biological parent with kith and kin in the great war with raged… no hand in shaping the future of the Rama. Tara loses her husband Bali to she stood petrified girl child. This is precisely what we Rama’s arrow shot from hiding. Both uncomprehending 3 notice in the case of the five kanyas. have to marry their younger brothers- in stony silence Theme of Loss in-law who are responsible for their withdrawn into the secret cave The theme of loss is common to husbands’ deaths (see issue 141). of her inviolate inner self… all the five kanyas. Ahalya has no Draupadi finds her five husbands she had her shelter parents, loses both husband and son discarding her repeatedly. Each takes sanctuary No.145 31 benediction ways the kanyas are treated. Sugriva agree that, like this passionate within, perfect, inviolate hides behind Tara and uses her to heroine of the Mahabharata, millions in the one-ness of spirit calm the raging Lakshmana. of women are publicly humiliated and with rock rain and wind Kuntibhoja uses Kunti to please even raped as a punishment for with flowing tree Durvasa. Draupadi is used first by challenging the male will or for and ripening fruit Drupada to take revenge on Drona ‘talking back’ at a man. Many men and seed that falls silently by securing the alliance of the are known to use violence against in its time Pandavas, and then by Kunti and the wives merely because they ‘back- into the rich dark earth.”6 Pandavas to win their kingdom thrice answer’!”15 Draupadi made the A very different evocation of over (through marriage; in the first unforgivable ‘mistake’ of publicly dice game; and as their incessant refusing to accept Karna as a suitor Ahalya was done by Rabindranath goad on the path to victory).8 and of laughing at Duryodhana (as Tagore in a lovely poem7: Unknown to her, even sakha Krishna he laments to his father Dhritarashtra) “What were your dreams, Ahalya, throws her in as the ultimate when he made a fool of himself in when you passed temptation in Karna’s way, assuring Indraprastha’s magical palace, Long years as stone, rooted in earth, him that Draupadi will come to him in capping this with refusing to obey prayer the sixth part of the day, shashthe ca Duryodhana’s summons to appear in And ritual gone, sacred fire extinct tam tatha kale the dice-game assembly unless her In the dark, abandoned forest- draupadyupagamisyati.9 This is question was answered.