РадхаКришна (что дальше?)

Draupadi insulting Duryodhan is a big myth.

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If you follow and read the authentic versions of Mahabharata (as much authentic as these can be after all these years of interpolation), none, and I repeat none, have the incident of Draupadi laughing at the plight of Duryodhana in the Maya Sabha or the palace of illusions. She was not even present at the scene and did not laugh out much less utter the words “The blind man's son is also blind”.

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I shall tell you where this myth comes from. In the 1950s, we in India had a weekly Hindi magazine called “Dharmayug”. It was a ToI publication and the chief editor was a renowned poet and author, Dharmaveer Bharati. Indeed the magazine was named after him. In late 50s, DB wrote a satire drama called “Andha Yug”. This was a political satire based оn the declining values of the political system in India using the Mahabharata as the backdrop. In this drama, the queen utters the words “अँधे का पुत्र भी अँधा है।” (the blind man's son is also blind). This was a punchline that became very popular.

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Years later, B R Chopra, used the same phrase in his TV depiction of the Mahabharata. BRC's Mahabharata was very famous and watched all over India. It was ridiculously famous. Telecast every Sunday in 1987 to 1989, the streets of India wore a deserted look from 9 am to 10 am as if a curfew was imposed оn the town.

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But BRC being a film maker that he was, could not resist from a few histrionic deviations. The Daraupadi's laughter incident is оne of the aberration in the serial. The damage was done and many people believe that the arrogant Draupadi (which she was) must have indeed said it.