The scene of Draupadi’s disrobing: context and meaning

Abstract

The scene of Draupadi’s disrobing in the Mahabharata is considered to be one of the most important high points of the text and also a culminating point in the narrative that triggers off the rest of the incidents in the epic. This article attempts to make an in-depth textual study of the various connotations of the scene within the context of the larger narrative of the Mahabharata and the various intellectual cum theoretical underpinnings of the debate surrounding the scene of disrobing. This scene, despite being rooted within a particular narrative sequence, carries significant connotations for the general understanding of the way in which patriarchy denies power and agency to women.