Yajnaseni: Draupadi and Dharma

Human prejudice, based on gender and sexuality, has been portrayed by poets and littérateurs in their works over the ages. Women, in all ages, have been subjugated in different ways. The author of the novel Yajnaseni, Dr Pratibha Ray, sketches a vivid illustration of the life of an Indian woman by elucidating the traumatized life of a privileged royal lady, Draupadi/Yajnaseni, from the magnum opus of Ved Vyas— The Mahabharata. Life of Yajnaseni was disillusioned by ‘dharma’ that eventually turned her life into an inferno. According to holistic view of Hinduism ‘dharma’ is a noble philosophical doctrine to be followed to live a happier, noble and lawful life. It is a philosophy that makes one dutiful towards his/her job so that one can become a responsible human being. This paper attempts to argue that no religious, philosophical thought meant for people's welfare is an absolute truth. Dharma in simple words is one's gratitude towards each and every component of life understanding the value of life without degrading, marginalizing or dominating others. This paper intends to counter the question of dharma, whether it is a moral code or a dominating force and aspires to demonstrate the role of dharma in the life of Draupadi in Pratibha Ray's Yajnaseni. This paper tries to probe the psychological destruction of Draupadi while following dharma.