Draupadi was in state of sorrow for losing her all five children, her father and most of the brothers and relatives.
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What can be more shocking state for a lady who lost all her beloved.
- She would be also in state of shock for hearing the death of Abhimanyu whom she had loved more than her son. Even when she was lamenting for her own son,she made Yudisthira remember the death of Abhimanyu.
- She would be in a state of shock and sorrow for the death of Gatotkacha who had carried her earlier in forest episode and gave all due respects and love that a son usually gives to his own mother.
- She would have been in a state of guilt for not able rear and show enough affection to her own children.
- She would have been in state of shock on learning the death of Iravan, whom she probably might not have seen and yet he gave away the life for the cause of Pandavas.
- She would have been in state of shock on learning the death of Vikarna, the only Kourava brother who protested in the Kuru assembly during her humiliation.
- Karna, on other hand was the one who ordered her disrobing and dragging and in fact mocked her and called her a whore.
- Krishna narrated the same during Karna - Arjuna battle and it became the reason of Karna’s downfall.
- No self respecting woman would digest that and still fall in love with him. People who think in that angle need a mental treatment.
- Generally such identity based surprise would give you positive shock when you hear it for the first time about a person.
- Pandavas and Draupadi knew very well about Karna as a person - most of his virtues and follies both. The younger Pandavas as well Drupadi suffered for Karna’s deeds.
Draupadi didn’t rejected him as per most of the manuscripts of Sanskrit epic found till date.
- The point is among all available Sanskrit manuscript of 1250 only 5–6 manuscript contains the rejection.
- The rejection was first introduced in sanskrit epic by Neelkantha on 17th CE.
- So the books which are written after 17th CE contains Rejection since all were influenced by Neelkantha commentary and that was famous.
- All the works that was done pre-17th CE doesn’t have the rejection, Which is why the critical edition of Mahabharata which is most authentic and researched version doesn’t contains Rejection.
- Among the all manuscripts of Sanskrit Mahabharata - none of Sarada (kashmiri), Bengali or Southern Mansucripts contains the Rejection. Only Devanagari / Nepali 5–6 manuscripts has that.
- You can read Bibek Debroy Translation of Mahabharata which is the complete unabridged translation of BORI Critical edition.
- In fact the other way around, she knew how Karna tried to join with other kings and tried to burn her alive and tried to kill her family. At that time Bhima and Arjuna protected her.
As per epic Sanskrit Mahabharata, Draupadi didn’t showed any sympathy on Karna. She might have forgiven and moved on.
- Yes the news could be surprising and shocking to any one who hear it for first time. But that’s it - adding a romantic angle to it doesn’t make any sense.
It was only Yudisthira who lamented like child and cursed all women and refused to take the duty of the throne.
- Then it was Draupadi who along with others reminded him that he won the kingdom through strength and not through charity and therefore he should rule.
- That subtly tells why there is no reason for her to lament on Karna’s death.
This is what exactly Draupadi said to Yudisthira when he refused to take up throne after war.
Friendship for all creatures, charity, study of the Vedas, penances,--these constitute the duties of a Brahmana and not of a king, O best of kings! Restraining the wicked, cherishing the honest, and never retreating from battle,--these are the highest duties of kings. He is said to be conversant with duties in whom are forgiveness and wrath, giving and taking, terrors and fearlessness, and chastisement and reward. It was not by study, or gift, or mendicancy, that thou hast acquired the earth. That force of the enemy, O hero, ready to burst upon thee with all its might, abounding with elephants and horse and cars, strong with three kinds of strength protected by Drona and Karna and Aswatthaman and Kripa, has been defeated and slain by thee, O hero! It is for this that I ask thee to enjoy the earth.
This is the third time and for the last time in entire Mahabharata where she took the name of Karna.
- You could guess the thought process of the empress - she was asking him to rule because he won it through battle and not through study, gift or mendicancy.
- You can’t be a king if it is gifted to you. Either you inherit as per law or you acquire it through your might and only then you would be able to function as King.
- Karna’s Anga Kingdom was a gift by Duryodhana and you can see Karna had sense of debt.
Draupadi lived as an empress in Indraprastha and served people in her best capacity. She was the finance minister.
- She used to sleep after every one sleeps and used to wake up before others. No one could perform job with such perfection unless some one is really interested in that Job.
- Which itself means Draupadi wanted to live as Khsatriya princess and deliver the duty assigned to her for being the daughter of queen.
- Pandavas were given land as share of their paternal property and they had developed the kingdom through hard work and external help such as Panchalas and Dwarka.
- Pandavas being raised by single mother Kunti was more women friendly than others. It allowed her to function more actively as empress.
- Her marriage made Panchala getting a strong ally and in fact made them a true partner of empire as they didn’t gave any tribute to Yudisthira.
- Her marriage compensated the Panchala the loss of their territory and allowed them to move ahead happily and peacefully and respectfully.
No woman would ever say the following thing unless she had felt a sense of freedom and empowerment through marrying five able men even after destructive Kurushetra War -
All of you are like celestials. All of you are capable of resisting foes. All of you are competent to scorch your enemies. If only one of you had become my husband, my happiness would even then have been very great. What need I say then, O tiger among men, when all of you, numbering five, are my husbands (and look after me) like the five senses inspiring the physical frame? The words of my mother-in-law who is possessed of great knowledge and great foresight, cannot be untrue.
Only an empress who could see the larger benefit of society and kingdom could make such choice and justify it on face. Such people are rare who can go to any extent to benefit society or her Kingdom.
Why would a princess of Panchala then regret for not marrying Karna? Karna would have still ‘served’ Duryodhana even if he married Draupadi.
- Panchalas wouldn’t been treated as equality and would have become another servant nation of Hastinapur.
- Being a friend of Duryodhana, Karna would have even handed over her to Duryodhana in case he had won.
- Karna’s view on women is misogynistic. He thinks women as properties as he mentioned that in dice game.
- None of the male characters of Kouravas gives a damn to their women - specially Gandhari.
- Neither Dritarastra or Duryodhana ever listened to her.
In any case whether she married to Karna or Duryodhana, Draupadi would spent like submissive wife giving just ‘pleasure’ and ‘heir’ to her husband and living in a comfort zone.
- This life could be suitable for normal person and not for the people who wanted to break barrier and achieve some thing.
Therefore we can fairly assume that there was no reason for Draupadi to lament over the death of Karna over hearing Karna’s original identity.
My answer is based on Bibek debroy Translation of Critical edition of Mahabharata and Kisari Mohan Ganguli Translation.
- Ref - The Mahabharata (10 vol Box Set): Bibek Debroy (Tr.): 9780143424789: Amazon.com: Books
- BORI Critical edition project - The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
- For those who has question on Draupadi’s rejection please go through my research on the topic - Mahabharata Researcher's answer to Was Karna rejected by Draupadi or he couldn't lift the bow in her Swayambar?