Reading Notes: Week 9: Draupadi Amar Chitra Katha

Swayamvara for Draupadi. Source: Wikimedia

I read the comic Amar Chitra Katha: Draupadi for the second reading. What I noticed, however, was how this godly woman treated Karna. She distastefully referred to him as a "Suta" and then continued her search for a husband that was a Brahma. The caste system is so heightened in these stories and teaches children, who read these comics, the caste system and how to look down upon others. This should not be the intent of the stories, but they continuously do so. Although Karna was the son of Surya, that does not mean that his appearances should be treated thus. It was frustrating to even get through the rest of her story because of how highly she held herself, which is not a bad thing but it caused arrogance. I understand that her destiny was to be with the Pandava brothers, but that was just frustrating.

However, the story of how the brothers won her and ended up sharing her is always one of most shock. Then her previous story prior to her life as Draupadi, she brings Shiva into the storyline and shows why she was married to all five of them. This was an interesting story and I hope to creat a new story from it.

Bibliography

Amar Chitra Katha: Draupadi by Anand Pai. Literary Source.