Avenging the Violation of Draupadī (and Bhārata Mātā) in Badrinātha Bhaṭṭa’s Kuruvana-dahana

Abstract

The article "Avenging the Violation of Draupadī (and Bhārata Mātā) in Badrinātha Bhaṭṭa’s Kuruvana-dahana" by Pamela Lothspeich analyzes how the trauma of Draupadī’s disrobing in the Mahābhārata is reimagined in early 20th-century Hindi drama—specifically in Badrinātha Bhaṭṭa’s nationalist play Kuruvana-dahana. Lothspeich situates the play within the Indian independence movement, showing how Draupadī’s humiliation is paralleled with the British colonial violation of Bhārata Mātā (Mother India). The article demonstrates how epic motifs were repurposed to fuel anti-colonial sentiment, with the Kurus representing oppressive imperial forces and Bhīma (the play’s protagonist) standing in for nationalist warriors seeking justice. Lothspeich argues that this powerful fusion of myth and modernity exemplifies how the Mahābhārata became a pliable, emotionally charged political tool in the hands of Hindi dramatists.