The Love Song Of Yudhishtar And Draupadi

Theres something about the worlds great epics that tugs at the hems of writers garments, whispering those magic words, Rewrite me! Rewrite me! The Mahabharata has spoken to many over the years, perhaps most notably to Shashi Tharoor. Draupadis unique dilemma has fascinated creative people from Mallika Sarabhai to Mahashweta Devi, and now Pavan K Varma.

Written chiefly in the form of sonnets, Yudhishtar and Draupadi brings a new perspective to the Mahabharatas most neglected relationship. As Varma points out, Bhima had Hidimba, Arjun had plenty of other relationships, and Nakul and Sahdeva didnt really count. Yudhishtar had nothing but his sense of dharma, and the knowledge that although he was first among Draupadis husbands, he came a poor second to Arjun in the stakes where it really counted. As for Draupadi