Woman of Virtue: Draupadi

Indian mythology has an array of women who are formidable and impressive but the character of Draupadi stands out the most. If there was no character of Draupadi present in Mahabharata, there wouldn't be Mahabharata war at all. Draupadi was a complex, independent and stubborn woman. She had an enigmatic personality; her mind was far ahead of her time. She was considered to be one of the most beautiful and unique women of her time. Throughout her life, she wanted to be the ideal wife and be loved by her husbands. A woman who has faced challenges, torments and insults yet held her head high. Born out of a holy pyre, she had always been a victim of circumstances. She was treated like an entity right from the beginning where she was made as an object to be won in her own Swayamwara. Her sufferings continue as a fivefold marriage was imposed on her. She religiously fulfilled the duties of a wife, yet she never received the love and respect from her husbands. She was staked by her husband and was lost as an object. She lost her children in the war to save her husbands. In her attempts to become an ideal wife, she failed to be an ideal mother which she realizes at the end.