Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy - Osho - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 11. DRAUPADI: A RARE WOMAN
The society in which the Mahabharat happened was in the last stages of matriarchy, and therefore
polyandry was accepted. But that society is long dead and with it polygamy and polyandry are now
things of the past. They have no relevance in a society where the numbers of men and women are
in equal proportion. When this balance is disturbed for some reason, customs like polygamy and
polyandry appear on the scene. So there was nothing immoral about Draupadi.
Even today I say that Draupadi was not an ordinary woman; she was unique and rare. The woman
who loved five men together and loved them equally and who lived on their love could not be an
ordinary woman. She was tremendously loving and it was indeed a great thing. We fail to understand
her because of our narrow idea of love.
Question 2
QUESTIONER: YOU SAY THAT PERSONS LIKE KRISHNA DON’T MAKE FRIENDS NOR DO
THEY MAKE FOES. THEN HOW IS IT THAT HE AS A KING COMES RUNNING DOWN TO THE
GATE OF HIS PALACE TO RECEIVE SUDAMA, HIS POOR OLD FRIEND OF CHILDHOOD DAYS
AND GIVES HIM ALL THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD IN RETURN FOR A HANDFUL OF RICE
THAT HIS POOR FRIEND HAS BROUGHT AS HIS PRESENT TO HIM? PLEASE SHED SOME
LIGHT ON THIS SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN KRISHNA AND SUDAMA.
It is not a special kind of friendship, it is just a friendship. Here too, our ideas come in the way of our
understanding. It seems to us that giving away all the wealth of the world in return for a handful of
rice is too much. We fail to see that it is more difficult for poor Sudama to bring a handful of rice as a
present for his friend, than it is for Krishna to give all the wealth of the world to Sudama. Sudama is
so utterly poor, a beggar, that even a handful of rice is too much. Therefore his gift is more important
than Krishna’s; he is the real giver, not Krishna.
But we see it differently, we look at the quantity and not the quality of the gift. We are not aware how
difficult it was for a beggar like Sudama to collect a handful of rice; it is not that difficult for Krishna to
give away lots of wealth, he is a king. He does not do a special favor to Sudama, he only responds
to his friend’s gift; and I think Krishna is not satisfied with his own gift to Sudama. Sudama’s gift is
rare; he is destitute. In my eyes Sudama shines as a greater friend than Krishna.
I did say that Krishna does not make friends or foes, but it does not mean that he is against
friendship. If someone advances the hand of friendship to him, he responds to it with greater
love and friendship. He is like a valley which echoes your one call seven times. A valley is not
waiting for your call, nor is it committed to respond to you, but it is its nature to return your call seven
times. What Krishna does stems from his nature; he is just respond, ing to Sudama’s love, which is
extraordinary.
It is significant that Sudama comes to Krishna not for any favor, but just to express his friendship, his
love to him, and even as a poor man he brings a gift for his old friend. Usually a poor person wants
to receive something. he rarely gives anything. Here Sudama comes with a gift and not for a gift,
he does not go to Krishna’s palace as a beggar. And when a poor man gives his gift, his affluence
of heart is in comparable. In the same way, a rich man is expected to give something to charity. But
when the contrary happens, when the rich man chooses to beg, as it happened with Buddha – a
king turned beggar is again something extraordinary.
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 203 Osho