-- by Dr. Indulata Das
'Amrita Kirti' is a prestigious award given for social reform and promotion of Indian culture by the organization of Mata Amritanadamayee. But it was quite painful to know that the award this year was given to. Dr. Pratibha Ray who has ruthlessly massacred Indian culture in her novel 'Yajnaseni'(originally written in Oriya and translated to Malayalam) mainly for which she got the award. It creates curiosity in the reader to know the truth and mystery behind the selection of such a person who has denigrated all the great and ideal characters of Mahabharata. A few examples will give an idea as to how the sublime characters have been pulled down to the nadir and how the writer left no stone unturned to blacken Indian culture.
1. Bhima, in the Mahabharata is known for his ardent love and sacrifice for his mother and brothers. Among the five husbands of Draupadi, he was perhaps the most dedicated one. But the same Bhima has been portrayed as an extremely selfish and intolerant person. He was so mean that he used to retain Draupadi in the pretext of pain in his stomach when she was supposed to stay with another husband. Bhima of' Yajnaseni'was so cruel that he would not mind killing all the Pandavas including Draupadi if the latter did not concede to his wishes (page-115 Yajnaseni (Oriya)).
2. Yudhisthira in the Mahabharata is the embodiment of righteousness who would sacrifice everything for upholding and establishing Dharma. But for Pratibha Ray he was an unscrupulous man who stood outside the hut and spoke loudly to his mother that they had brought unique alms that day. He knew it well that his mother would tell them to share whatever they had got. It was a heinous conspiracy of Y udhisthira to share the would be wife of his younger brother, whom he could not have otherwise got [page-59 Yajnaseni (Oriya)
3-. What to speak of the character of Draupadi ! Draupadi in the said book is almost a psychic patient who has no control over her mind. She is falling in love with someone today and is engrossed in some other's thought the other day. .
4.. India has a glorious tradition of dedicated women who venture to confront even the god of death to save their husbands. But see how Pratibha Ray has portrayed her Draupadi! When the Draupadi of Pratibha Ray heard that she was going to marry all the five brothers she was so upset that she wished to- see all of them dead and turn into ashes (page-6.8. Yajnaseni (Oriya). What a portrayal of an ideal Indian woman, who wants to see her would-be husbands die even before marriage!
5. It is a known fact that in the Mahabharata Draupadi herself denied marrying Kama during the Swayamvara (Mahabharata 1.86.22). But the Draupadi of Pratibha Ray is mad after Kama throughout her life. She was so infatuated with Kama that even if the latter called her' a prostitute' she was not angry with him but cursed her husbands instead.[page-153 Yajnaseni (Oriya)]. Draupadi of Pratibha Ray often expressed that Kama would have been her suitable husband [page-211 Yajnaseni (Oriya)]. She was engrossed in enjoying the embrace of Kama when the latter lifted her from water (a nasty imaginary scene created by the author to establish Draupadi' s illicit
weakness towards Kama) [page- 207, Yajnaseni (Oriya) Is it Indian culture that a married woman enjoys the embrace of another man? Why did Sita, even if a captive in Ravana's place refuse to go
with Hanuman when the latter requested her to sit on his back so that he would take her to Rama ? Why did she refuse to teach Hanuman's body who was nothing more than a son to-her? (Ramayana, Sundara.3-7.62)
6. Draupadi comes under the group of 'Sati' women for whom husband is God. Such women do have devotion towards God but they never think of seeing God as their husband or extramarital lover. Their love in the physical or mental plane is meant for their husband only. But Pratibha Ray portrays Srikrisna as an extramarital lover of Draupadi . It was not a evotion to God but a human love towards the mortal Krisna. She used to see Krisna in her husbands. There are many objectionable statements and descriptions about the relation of Draupadi with Krisna which goes against the story and the moral tradition of India. There is a nasty imaginary description that when once during his visit to Indraprastha Lord Krishna was sleeping on bed, Draupadi stood by the side of the bed the whole night [page-219 Yajnaseni (Oriya)]. Even a woman of common family would not do it.
It should not be argued that an author has the freedom of imagination and hence the depiction in the book under reference should not be criticized. It is true that an author has liberty of imagination. But that is meant to enhance the beauty of the ideal characters and not to disfigure them. Writer is free within the limits of truth and morality. He is not free to poison the minds of readers by writing untrue facts. Is an author while writing a stery about Ramayana, free to write that Sita was the wife of Ravana?
7. The book Yajnasenis full of untrue and immoral facts also. For example when in order to-avoid the great ensuing battle of Mahabharata Lord Krisna persuaded Kama to-leave the Kauravas and come to the side of Pandavas by disclosing that he was the eldest son of Kunti. Lord Krisna according to the writer of Yainaseni offered the crown of the would be kingdom along with the freedom to enjoy Drauvadi. [page-391 Yajnaseni (Oriya),. And surprisingly the same 'Draupadi of Pratibha Ray' who wanted to see her would-be husbands turn into. ashes at the very proposal of her marrying more than one husband did not have any reaction to this sinful and shameless proposal of Krisna that Kama shall have the freedom to enjoy the married woman Draupadi ! She obviously had no objection to this offer. One wonders to what extent the Indian culture has been denigrated and the minds of the readers poisoned.
Mahabharata has been conferred with the status of Dharmasastra. Are these contents of Yajnaseni the contents of a Dharmasastra or a Papasastra ? Is it Indian culture? If this is our culture then what about the advice to. see others' wife as mother (Matrivat Paradaresu). In the same Mahabharata during the teaching of Gita Lord Krisna vouchsafes that He descends to. the earth from time to time to establish Dharma: Dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge (Gita 4.8) ls it the way the 'Krisna of Pratibha Ray' was establishing Dharma (by alluring Kama with the offer of enjoying Draupadi who was not only married but had five grown up sons by then)?
Can the organization which selected the author of this book for the award quote the slokas from the Mahabharata or give the references where Krisna gave such a sinful proposal to Kama?
The writer of Yajnaseni has not read Mahabhmat before writing the book and the selectors have not read the book Yajnaseni before selecting its writer for the award.
8. The book gives wrong .picture about our Sastras also. For example the writer on one occasion says that it is Ksatriya Dharma to enjoy a married lady by kidnapping her or by defeating her husband. It has the approval of the scriptures. [page-364.Yajnaseni (Oriya) Can the awarding organization (Amritanadamayee Ashram) please quote the Dharmasastra
which declares such a sin to be a 'Ksatriya Dharma'
9. In many places in the book there are derogatory remarks about ladies. In one place it is said that "It is natural for any woman to forget her husband and family and to be mad after a man who has great qualities" (page-12 Yajnaseni (Oriya)] Is it Indian culture?
10. In another place Pratibha Ray comments "Most women in the world have corrupt characters. Although they live with one man (their husband) mentally they romance with many others. Even if they physically sleep. with one yet they enjoy 'Suhag raat' (honey moon) with many more mentally"(page- 234, Yajnaseni (Oriya)].
After reading her statement about women, I felt Duhsasana had made an unsuccessful attempt to disrobe Draupadi , but, by giving such an assaulting statement the author of the book who is unfortunately a lady has disrobed the whole mother community on the cross road. Had these been the words of a male writer, he might have been proceeded against by the Women activists.
But ironically the writer of such an unholy statement which insulted the whole woman race got the 'Amritakirti' award from a holy organization that too headed by a woman.
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