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>The Palace Of Illusions

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by  |  on April 18th, 2011  |  10 comments

>… by Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni

Draupadi or Paanchali is a pivotal character in the stories of Mahabharatha. She is the impetus for the Kurukshetra war and most famous as the wife of the five Pandavas. This book is a condensed version of the epic narrated from Draupadi’s point of view. The aim of the author is to explain why Paanchali did what she did. The cause and effect pattern of the epic is most evident in this book. Most of Draupadi’s actions are explained by causes in her past.

For those who don’t know many of the stories of Mahabharatha, this book can be a good introduction. The major characters , the concepts are all given in a brief but complete manner. I was especially impressed by the way the author wove in the stories of Baka and Ekalavya also into the book. Many less known facts about Draupadi are also brought up in the book , like her childhood friendship with Krishna when he would call her Krishnae. Her rebellious nature is also a revelation to us. Her resentment of her egotistic father because he did not care for her or the prophecy she was born with as much as he did for her brother. Her solace with the ever enigmatic Krishna and with her dear brother Dhrishtadhyumna. The stories that she and her brother narrate to each other to pass long summer evenings are really creative and touching too. The fact that Vyasa had predicted to her the path of her whole life and even warned her of the mistakes she would make. It is also explained how, though Draupadi knew the consequences of her actions, she could not react to the situations in any other way than what was foretold. Her intense devotion towards her husbands , her unforgiving nature and her search for a home for herself are all deep rooted in her psyche. Even common incidents like her feuds with her mother-in-law are highlighted to show us more cause-effect incidents.

The title Palace of Illusions is derived from the fantastic palace that the Pandavas build for themselves at Indraprastha. It is the first step they take to transform the barren land to a prosperous city. Draupadi who never felt at home at her fathers palace or at the palace of the Kauravas always yearned for her own home, one where she could truly be a queen and the mistress of the house. All that was good in her life is represented by this palace , the loss of which hits her hard and further fuels her anger.

The one thing Mahabharatha lacks is an all encompassing romance throughout the epic. All characters have romantic interests and of course Draupadi’s marriage to the five brothers is a stand out but there is not a continuous love story that will remain in people’s hearts. Perhaps to increase the allure of the book the author introduced a Draupadi – Karna angle into the book. Karna being the tragic hero of the book ,most pitied and most beloved for many is indeed a good candidate for a love story.I agree that the relationship between the two was a rocky one , what with one insulting the other at crucial moments of the epic but no place have I heard it to be a romantic one. Though this forbidden love is interesting from a fiction point of view,this is something not present in the epic. This development kind of disappointed and drove me to laughter too. Draupadi yearning for Karna , the ego battles and especially the Titanic like end bordered on hilarity.

Other than the one obvious flaw , I found this book to very entertaining. The story is well formed and in a fast paced style. It has the right amounts of suspense and drama included. The character descriptions also are nearly accurate and many of the stories of Mahabharatha are stringed together admirably.In fact once you start reading, it is hard to put down this book. Highly recommend you to try this one. Divakaruni does a good job.

This review is written by Pavithra. You can find her writings at Pavithra Kodmad’s Pages

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Comments (10)

  1. penandpaper Monday - 18 / 04 / 2011 Reply
    >I read this book sometime back, but since I had already read 'Yajnaseni' by Pratibha Ray; there was no novelty factor in narrating Mahabharata through Draupadi. And frankly, I found the whole thing a little over-the-top. But yes, it has a very contemporary feel to it. It can certainly act as an introduction to Mahabharata for the uninitiated.
  2. Smita Monday - 18 / 04 / 2011 Reply
    >It is one of my favorite books :) I loved the contemporary style with which the book has been penned!
  3. Amit Gupta Monday - 18 / 04 / 2011 Reply
    >I haven't read the book, so i will reserve my comments about Draupadi-Karna angle in it. But I have read the whole original manuscript of Mahabharata and i can safely say that this is not an entirely fictional one. There are certain old texts also which touch about their relationship.

    One of the instigation was provided by Krishna, where he asks Draupadi to seduce Karna, so that the latter stop fighting from the Kaurava side and join his brothers. There is also a passing reference that when Krishna finally reveals to Karna about the Pandavas being his own blood brothers, he eventually indirectly proposes Draupadi to be Karna's wife as well. And at this very moment, Karna is tempted to say 'yes' because of his hidden feelings for her, but his friendship with Duryodhan and the fact he said Draupadi "Vaishya" during the chess game, makes him decline the offer.

    There is another reference which i can recall right now. Draupadi never gets over her infatuation with Karna – confessing on the eve of the war before her husbands and Krishna, her love for “all the sons of Kunti, from the eldest Pandava to the youngest”, the full meaning of which is understood only by Krishna himself.

    There is another reference in last and final part of 18 which pans out in heaven. When Draupadi dies, her soul finally goes to meet Karna because apparently it was her first love. You may recall the Swamyaram scene where she develops affection for him, but refuses to marry on behest of Krishna.

    So, my dear friend, it is not at all fiction. These small nuggets is what makes this epic such an awesome thing to read. Sorry, if any of this is mentioned in the book, but i just wanted to make my point. :)

    Cheers!
  4. penandpaper Tuesday - 19 / 04 / 2011 Reply
    >I have not read the original but I do recall references of Krishna proposing to Karna to side with Pandavas, as he is the eldest one, and as a result gets to share Draupadi as well. Frankly, I have never appreciated the way Draupadi has been used in the entire Mahabharata.
  5. Amit Gupta Tuesday - 19 / 04 / 2011 Reply
    >Well that is a topic of discussion other day!! But there are pros and cons of that argument within Mahabharata itself :)
  6. penandpaper Tuesday - 19 / 04 / 2011 Reply
    >Right. But please do tell me where to find the original version in 18 parts (of course in English)
  7. Amit Gupta Tuesday - 19 / 04 / 2011 Reply
    >Oh,well! I read the Mahabharata first time at the age of 14 in Hindi, all 18 parts, comes in 2 bulky volumes, each one around 1100 pages. It was published by Geetapress Gorakhpur who used to specialize in religious books. Need to find if they still publish it now. But given the market dynamics, i am pretty sure they (or some other publisher) publish it in English and other regional languages as well. Google is your best friend in this scenario :)
  8. penandpaper Tuesday - 19 / 04 / 2011 Reply
    >Thanks for the info. I have heard of Geeta Press. And I am OK in Hindi version also, if I don't get the English one. It is embarrassing, how we have got accustomed to read in English so much that when I started 'Mrityunjaya' in Hindi, my pace was so slow that it is right now on hold!
  9. Pavithra K Tuesday - 19 / 04 / 2011 Reply
    >Wow! Amit! You just mentioned all the points that the author has mentioned in the book! I have new respect for the author now. Basically I have seen the movie Mistress of spices and judged that the author just wants some masala in the book.
    Yes, she touches on Draupadi s infatuation at the Swayamvara , Krishna offering to split Draupadi if Karna joins the Panadavas and at the end when her soul touches heaven.
    But you said she confesses her love to all the Pandavas on the eve of the war. What do you mean by that? Before the last day or before the first? Because it is during the war that Draupadi comes to know about Karnas true identity. Or this is my knowledge.
    And me too inspired by you will try and read the whole Mahabharatha! Thanks so much for the clarifications!
  10. Amit Gupta Tuesday - 19 / 04 / 2011 Reply
    >Eve of the war means just before the first day!! Again going by the original manuscript (and not by the book), the incident happens like this. Kunti, who is the real mother, is very fond of Radha, surrogate mother of Karna. She often visits her home surreptitiously to hear tales about Karna's childhood. On one such visit, Draupadi accompanies them and inadvertently comes to know about their relationship. Given her infatuation with Karna, and the love-hate-lust feelings between those two, Draupadi makes such a statement in front of Pandavas and Krishna. Her point of contention was two-fold. Firstly, she didn't wanted to hide her feelings from Krishna given how close and transparent she has always been with him. Secondly, she also thought that Pandavas may not kill Karna if they come to know about him being their elder brother and then revenge of her insult won't be completed. Basically, like most women, she was confused ;)

    It is also being referenced that Draupadi was never happy when Arjuna decided that she will live with each of the 5 brothers on an yearly basis, one after the another starting from Yudishtra. This was because she was always closer to Arjun more than the other 4 brothers. During their exile to forest, when it was her turn to be with Arjun, he went for celibacy and started doing prayers to get Divyaastra. On being away from him for one year and leading a sexless life, her mind always used to wander towards Karna. Even after the exile was over, Arjuna took vows to avoid any kind of conjugal bliss with Draupadi till he kills Karna.

    If the author has twisted this to suit her story, then it's a different thing. But, this my friend, is what the real text says :)

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