Strap yourselves in for THE most infamous episode of Mahabharata - the one where Draupadi is disrobed in public.
Tropes found here are
- Armor-Piercing Question: Quite a few are raised:
- Duryodhan demands to know why the Kuru elders didn’t establish clear rules and boundaries for the dice game, but dare to complain about staking people now.
- Draupadi demands to know if a husband has the right to stake his wife like that.
- Draupadi then demands what rights do women have, if they are considered the chattel of their husband? And is it moral for men to have rights even if they are enslaved, but women don’t?
- Berserk Button: Bhim snaps after Draupadi's molestation, gets up and roars while proclaiming two oaths:
- He vows to rip the arm off which Dushasan used to drag Draupadi by her hair and flay his chest open and drink his blood.
- Finally, he vows to break the thigh on which Duryodhan motioned for Draupadi to sit on.
- Bystander Syndrome: No one in the entire court, including the Pandavas, did anything to stop Draupadi’s molestation. The best that any of them could muster was Bhim swearing explicitly gory painful revenge on Duryodhan and Dushasan.
- By the Hair: Dushasan drags a barefoot Draupadi by her hair into the game room.
- Curse Cut Short: Draupadi is about to plague the entire Kuru clan with a Curse when Gandhari cuts her off with a plea.
- Deus ex Machina: Krishna appears and saves Draupadi from being disrobed completely by sending an endless stream of sari until Dushasan collapses in exhaustion from pulling on a never ending sari.
- Droit du Seigneur: Duryodhan justifies his ownership of Draupadi as reason to openly disrobe and molest her.
- The Grovel: Draupadi drops to her knees and pleads with the Kuru elders and the Brahmins Dronacharya and Kripacharya to stop what is happening to her. But they cannot do anything.
- I Will Tear Your Arms Off: Bhim threatens Dushasan that he will tear his arm off should he attempt to disrobe Draupadi.
- Heel Realization: All Kuru elders have one, except Dhritharashtra. All Pandavas also have one for not doing anything to stop Draupadi from being staked, and then from being molested.
- Never My Fault: Dhritharashtra sidesteps his own inaction and directs Draupadi to ask Yudhistir why he staked her.
- Oh, Crap!: Dhritharashtra becomes visibly fearful after Bhim swears to flay Dushasan’s chest open and drink his blood.
- Molestation as Drama: This event, more than anything else, leads to the Kurukshetra war.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
- Vikarna, the third eldest Kaurava, gives everyone present a blistering one.
- And towards the end, so does Draupadi as she prepares to curse the entire Kuru clan.
- Shameful Strip: Attempted on Draupadi by Dushasan. Foiled by Krishna.
- Slut-Shaming: Karna calls Draupadi a whore for having all five Pandavas as husbands.
