Justice in the Hands of Torture - Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

ster, from pulling me brutally like this, holding on to my hair?"When Draupadi was crying and sobbing in distress like this andDuhshasana was intensifying the torture, both Shakuni andDuryodhana roared in laughter and complimented him openly saying'well done! well done!' None else in the assembly approved theleast of Duhshasana's act. All were shedding tears. Putting theirheads down they sat mute.It was now that the most respected elder Bheeshma, the grandfatherof Duryodhana, broke the tense silence with his well-thoughtoutwords. It had now become an important question of giving aclear verdict on the issue which Draupadi had raised. Bheeshmasaid:"O virtuous lady, the trend and course of dharma is extremely subtleand abstruse. Therefore I am unable to give a fully appropriatereply to your question. One who has lost his freedom and consequentlybecome a slave has no right and power to pledge another.On this basis Yudhishthira's pledging you, after having lost himself,is incorrect and invalid. But there is another side too to thequestion. A woman is under the lordship of her husband. On thisground when Yudhishthira was won by the enemies, you too werewon as a consequence. You were enslaved. But it is by foul playand stealth that these people, claiming superiority and power, havedefeated Yudhishthira. If any clever person defeats another not soclever through foul means, the latter's defeat will not be upheld bythe knowers of Dharma. On this principle this game is not dharmic,But because Yudhishthira participated in the game with full knowledgeof the consequences and willingly too, the defeat has to bereckoned with as effective. Yudhishthira is one who will forsake forthe sake of dharma the whole of the bounteous earth, He himself9