The Palace of Illusions (Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni) - A beautiful retelling of a timeless epic

I picked up this book with some trepidation - the Mahabharata is a timeless epic of gargantuan proportions, it has immense complexity and innumerable threads that somehow magically tie all into the main story. To take that and write it from another character's perspective, one who is important to the story line but stays on the fringes, critical with respect to what is done to her rather than what she does, is no mean challenge. And Divakaruni not only lives up to it but excels at this retelling.

Draupadi was born of fire, along with her brother Dhrishtadyumna, after much prayer and penance by her father Drupad, sent by the heavens as a 1+1 (for it was her brother who the prayers were for 😏) with a prophecy that she would change the course of history. No one knew how she would do this or could even fathom that a woman would play an important part in the shaping of history. But she believed in it and set about gaining knowledge that was forbidden to a woman, so that when the time came for her to change history, she would be equipped to do so. Her one staunch supporter is her brother who, from the time they stepped out of fire together, held her hand and steadied her, both literally and figuratively. The other is Krishna, the one who materializes when needed, speaks in cryptic language and always has her back even if that is not evident. A childhood of girl rebellion, a brief youth of romantic fantasies and a marriage that everyone thinks is good for her though she is not sure of it (sounds like every girl's story!). From here on, her life changes and she moves closer to centre stage. 

At its core, the Mahabharata is a power struggle between the sons of two brothers, the royal family of Hastinapur. The main characters are the five brothers of Pandu (Yudhisthir, Bheem, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev) and the 100 sons of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhan and his 99 brothers), aided by their friends, well wishers and confidantes - Shakuni on one side and Krishna on the other. The fight, while it is overtly about the crown of Hastinapur, is also about dharma (loosely translated as righteousness) and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. With complex back stories for each major and minor character going into their past lives, their sins and boons, each character plays a role in how the story plays out. Nothing happens without a larger meaning and the mind boggles when all threads converge in the final battle of Kurukshetra, the scene of the epic battle. 

Draupadi, or Panchali as she likes to call herself, is married to all the five Pandava brothers (sons of Pandu, who are really not but ok) in a complex never before never again marital arrangement. Here begins the role in which she will get the chance to change the history of this world. What follows is the story of Mahabharat but told from Panchali's perspective and plays out as she sees it - from her vantage point. The events are known and they happen as ordained - only now we see how Panchali she sees it. And she influences events. Her husband bets her and loses her in a game of dice as she is his final possession (excuse me 😮). She is disrobed and grossly insulted in an assembly of all the elders of the family and her five husbands, but no one speaks a word or moves a finger to save her. Here on, her sole purpose in life is revenge and she keeps the fire of hatred burning in her heart and in the hearts of her husbands till each person who could have stopped the unthinkable from happening, is annihilated on the battle field. 

What Divakaruni also explores is the complex working of Panchali's heart and desires - she is married to Arjun and subsequently to all the brothers but in her heart, unknown to everyone else (or so she thinks) lives another man. She is a woman in flesh and blood, a woman with passion and one who knows what she wants but also knows she cannot have. The other complex relationship she has is with Krishna - a friend, a mentor, a guide but could he be more? She is a woman with worldly desires, proud of her husbands' strength, fame and success, proud of the Palace of Illusions they build for her and fully aware of her power. She knows there will be a turning point in her future where she will influence the course of history and waits for it patiently. But Panchali is also impatient, struggles with the constraints society places on her as a woman, longs for freedom and is jealous of Sikhandi (her sister) who has transitioned into a man in order to pursue her life goal of revenge.      

It is a powerful retelling of a complex epic and one that I will think about for a long time. My only small concern is for readers, who are not familiar with Mahabharata and its characters - will they be able to understand and enjoy this book as I have? Is this, by and of itself, enough to understand the complex epic and appreciate the nuances Divakaruni brings to the story? I would like to hear from such a reader.