Draupadi: Journeying from Materiality to Liberation

Abstract

Materialistic quest concerning the school of Lokayata or Charvaka in Hindu philosophy, is the pursuit of worldly desires, pleasures, and happiness, without regard for spiritual or ethical values. (Chattropadhyaya) According to Buddhism, these desires or cravings are the forbearers of dukkha. This signifies that the Attachment to earthly substances, abstract or concrete, binds him like a chain to the worldly sorrows whereas the same attachment to the divinity leads him to the ultimate liberation of his soul, which is called Moksha. It is the ultimate goal of human life which sets one free from the cycle of death, rebirth and the law of cause and effect.  The Palace of Illusion is a contemporary retelling of the Mahabharata by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni which centres on the protagonist Draupadi. The story presents her life journey, from her childhood to her demise. Her humanness is established with the combination of her virtues as well as follies. Her persistent quest for earthly self-identity and materialistic pleasure turns out to be a mirage at the time of her final time whereas her attachment to Krishna leads her to spiritual liberation.

The paper aims to highlight Draupadi’s materialistic quest and its consequences concerning her attachment to Krishna that transcendences her spirit and sets her free from all the earthly agony.