Arjuna had never even thought about what life would be like
as a woman. How would he fit into this role? Would he like it? This wasn’t just
going to be a day of playing dress-up; Arjuna would take on this alternate personality
for an entire year. Would Draupadi still be attracted to him? Would she still
love him? What if he fell in love with a man? What would people think about him
once the year was up? Would Arjuna forever be mocked as the man who spent a
year teaching dance?
These questions continued to cycle through Arjuna’s mind. He
tossed and turned all night, afraid to fall asleep because he knew he would
wake up a different person. He decided to get up and walk around. He tip-toed
over to Draupadi’s bed, and began to stroke her beautiful hair. Draupadi awoke,
and could immediately sense the uneasiness in her husband’s heart. She turned
to him and told him before he could ask, “I will love you forever Arjuna, no
matter what happens tomorrow.” Arjuna breathed a sigh of relief. He kissed her
forehead and wept. What had this beautiful princess done to deserve so many
years of exile? It wasn’t fair. As if she could hear his thoughts, Draupadi
responded, “I count myself the luckiest woman in the world to have not one, but
five brave and caring husbands. I would go through a hundred more years of
exile if it meant I could spend just one more day with the Pandava brothers.” Arjuna
smiled, and made his way back to his bed.
He felt himself drifting off to sleep. Draupadi’s warm words
replayed in his mind and melted away all of his concerns of the future. His
dreams that night were vivid and exciting.
Arjuna awoke in the morning feeling wonderful and giddy. She saw
beauty in the world around her that she had never noticed before. The beauty of
her surroundings, her loved ones, and all of her blessings overwhelmed her with happiness. The only way she could externally express what she
was feeling, was to dance. Arjuna was excited for the year that would unfold before
her.
Urvashi curses Arjuna,
Author: Ramanarayanadatta astri, Date: acquired in 1965, Source: Wikimedia
Author's Note:
In my opinion, the most interesting portion of my reading assignment for this week was the year that the Pandava family spent in exile. I couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to take on such a new and different identity. Specifically, I thought about Arjuna who would take on the role of a woman. I imagined that this would be intimidating and scary for him, and began to wonder what it would feel like the night before his "transformation" would occur. I figured an entire story could be created describing Arjuna's transformation alone.
Bibliography:
Mahabharta retold by William Buck and illustrated by Shirley Triest, 1973. Print.
Hi Nicole! I think your story was such an interesting look at Arjuna's situation. When I was reading through the Mahabharata the first time, it struck me how Arjuna was so okay with being a woman for a year. These stories often paint women as ultimately subservient to their husbands and fathers so it would be strange for him to suddenly change his place in society, and I think your story does a much better job of addressing that fact.
ReplyDeleteI loved this internal look at Arjuna's transformation. It's kind of comforting to see that even the strongest individuals are afraid of change. Of course, this was a huge change! I thought that your comparison of how the world would see Arjuna and how Arjuna would later go on to see the world was particularly powerful. In a story that is often harsh on women's decision making and world view, you wrote a powerful testament to the beauty of a woman's perception! I also loved the sudden pronoun shift from "he" to "she" after the transformation. Funny how this idea could be so easily understood centuries ago but is now, at times, hotly debated!
ReplyDeleteThis was such an interesting aspect of the Mahabharata that I felt was glossed over in the original story. It's such a big change to go through and it was interesting to read an interpretation of Arjuna's inner thoughts during that time. You did a very good job describing what went through his head before and after his transformation during their last year of exile. This was a very good interpretation! Good job!
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