DRAUPADI DECIDES TO FORGIVE ASHWATTHAMA look at the kindness & mercy in our draupadi Ashwatthama wanted to take revenge for his fathers (Drona) death.He wanted to kill Pandavas. Ashwatthama ignored the rules. At night, he sneaked into the camp where the Pandava family were sleeping. He entered into the tent, killed the sons of the Pandavas mistaking them the Pandavas and went back. In the morning, when Draupadi saw the horrible sight, she cried out in horror. The Pandavas and Krishna came running when they heard Draupadis cry. Draupadi fell upon her sons bodies and wept. Bhima lifted her in his arms and tried to comfort her. The Pandavas and Krishna tracked down and found Ashwatthama who had taken refuge in the ashram of Maharshi Vyasa. They seized him and dragged him back to Draupadi. But when Draupadi saw who they had captured she ran forward. Let him go! Her divine nature managed herself according to time and situation. Arjuna was frustrated. He is the one who has killed our sons, Panchali! Let him go, she said again and moved to unbind Ashwathama herself. But why? Bhima demanded to know. Draupadi looked at her husbands. He is the only son of your guru Drona and his wife Kripi. So? Arjuna said. So he is the son of your guru. The scriptures state that the son of ones guru is the same as ones guru. If you kill him you will be guilty of killing a Brahmin and will have to suffer for it. And I have another reason. His mother Kripi is all alone in the world. Her husband Drona is dead. Ashwatthama is all she has. Will you leave her with nothing? Draupadi stood, still weeping. I have lost my sons but Kripi has committed no crime. I dont want her to feel my pain. We cannot leave him unpunished, Bhima insisted. I forbid you to kill him, Draupadi said. No more killing. Krishna came forward. Ashwatthama is truly an evil man. By killing defenseless children he has committed the worst crime. Yudhishthira, cut out the gem that grows in his forehead. The wound will never heal even though he will wander this world alone until the end of the next age. He will live in constant pain and no one shall give him sympathy. That is his punishment. Ashwathama had been born with a priceless jewel in his forehead and it was that jewel that gave him his immense power. Yudhistira cut it out as the man screamed in agony, feeling his power drain from his body. The Pandavas left him there and took Draupadi away. The war was over.[16] Quality of mercy and purity Draupadis mercy towards Ashwatthama at such a time is evidence of the purity of her heart. She saw beyond her own pain and forgave Ashwatthama his crime of killing her children for the sake of his mother Kripi. She also, even in the midst of her grief, prevented her husbands from committing a bad deed. She did not want them guilty of killing a Brahmana. She reminded them of their guru Drona and protected Ashwatthama. Draupadis had a heart of gold. She thought of everyone. Much later when Draupadi was asked what hurt the most about losing her children she replied that they died in their sleep. If theyd been awake my brave sons would have remembered Krishnas name and faced salvation (moksha). Those who remember the Lord at the time of death are granted salvation from this material world. But since my children were asleep, they couldnt do that. They couldnt remember Krishna. That is what hurts the most. Draupadis grief was not selfish or focused on her own pain. She thought only of her children and of the fate of their souls. We can learn so much from Draupadis story. From her compassion. From her love. From her intelligence. Her capacity to forgive was without doubt her greatest strength. She was Krishnā, Krishnas dear one.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 11:14:31 +0000
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