THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS
BOOK WRITTEN BY CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI
Short Summary/Book Review
“ I am buoyant and expansive and uncontainable- but I always was so, only I never knew it.
-Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
The Palace of illusions is a beautiful tale written by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, who gives Mahabharata a unique perspective. The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It is a mixture of myth, history, religion, philosophy, statecraft devotion, and war. It draws the scuffle between two groups of cousins in the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kauravas and the Pandavas princes. This beautifully written novel definitely a page-turner forces the reader to binge read it until it’s over. It keeps its viewers hooked.
We may have heard innumerable tales of Mahabharata since our childhood involving the enormous and spine-chilling battle between Kauravas and the Pandavas for the throne of Hastinapur. But seldom we have heard of the major woman characters who were equally responsible for the war. These women remained shadowy figures and their thoughts and motives, emotions were described only when they affected the lives of the male heroes. This book cleans the window that shows their emotions, their lives, their struggle, and their sorrows. The main character that this book showcase is DRAUPADI-who born from the flames of fire, the very ferocious and a strong woman who led to the greatest wars of all the time MAHABHARATA. This story is from her point of view and not of the Kauravas and Pandavas and that makes this book unique. The most important character is Panchaali or most commonly known as Draupadi. This novel describes Mahabharata through Draupadi’s eyes, her friendship with Krishna, her love for her brother, her marriage with the Pandava Brothers, her likeness for Karna, her motherhood, her strong attitude and desire, her wrath and sorrows, her achievements, her strength and her strong will to get justice. She herself takes us to the journey of her beautiful palace-THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS. The name Palace of illusions is the name of her palace how she fondly made her beautiful home full of glory, a palace-like no one has ever seen, and how it was shattered into pieces. This is a story of how Draupadi fought to avenge her assault. This story portrays how helpless Draupadi felt when she came to know that her husbands losing the game and becoming the slaves of Duryodhan the eldest brother of the Kauravas, treated her as their property and lost her in a bet, she had all the hopes that the elder men would not allow this and they would stand for her and she will be saved from the indignity of being gaped by Duryodhan’s cronies but she was mistaken and when Dussasan one amongst Kauravas brother went storming inside her room, grabbed her hair and dragged her into the court where hundreds of eyes were burning through her but nobody intervened not even Bhishma who was her friend and an ally. Dussasan then took hold of her sari to pull it away exposing her nakedness to all eyes. Her body could not stop trembling. She clutched her sari in her fists but her efforts were futile. The worst shame a woman could imagine was about to befall on her. Her husbands could not even raise an eye since they too were Duryodhan’s slaves. She was horrified. Her heart was beating so fast that it could leap out. In this time when nobody in the court tried to help her and the sounds of Dussasan’s grunts and the whispers of the watchers filled the room she could only think of Krishna her friend, the sound of the courtroom faded, she could feel the cool breeze across her face, the wind smelled of sandalwood and then a miracle occurred she could hear Krishna’s melodious voice and see his charming smile. She remembered what Krishna said no one can shame you if you don’t allow it and at that moment she felt why should she be ashamed when nobody in the court was and it was when she opened her eyes she was still dressed and Dussasan was on the floor panting and he could not pull off the sari.
She was raging in the court full of people, her eyes were full of fire. One could see a tornado in her eyes that could destroy anything that comes in its way. She exclaimed ‘All of you will die in the battle. And your mothers and wives will weep far more piteously than I’ve wept’.Behind she could hear Bheem and Arjun pronouncing oaths of revenge but their words could not calm her she was like a fire and that fire could not be extinguished with their meager words she wanted the death of the Kauravas.
It was her words that drove Pandavas to fight a ravishing war with help of Krishna to avenge the assault and the mental trauma Draupadi has to go through. The war ended with thousands of lifeless bodies lying on the ground of Kurukshetra, numerous grieving widows crying over their dead husbands trying to harm themselves.
Krishna is another important character in Mahabharata and played a very important role in Draupadi’s life. He was a very dear friend, who used to chat with her, played fun tricks on her, and help her and a mentor to guide her. Krishna was always there to help her when she needed it. He was Arjun’s(Pandavas) chariot driver, he guided Arjun when he was in dilemma seeing his extended family members across. Krishna taught him lessons from the holy book Bhagavad Geeta. Krishna has always stood up for what’s right.
That’s the short summary, if you are more interested go read the book. Hope you enjoyed reading the summary.
HAPPY READING…
