DO NOT HURT THE WIFE OF DRONA

When the Kuruksetra  war was almost over, Ashwthama with the intention of pleasing his friend and master, Duryodhana, promised to eliminate the entire family of the Pandavas.  He became ruthless and desensitised. He murdered everybody in their respective camps. Unfortunately all the sons of Draupadi were murdered along with her brothers, Shikhandi and Dhrashthadymna, Fortunately the Pandavas were saved .

 The Pandavas were shocked when they saw  that all of their family was wiped out . Bhima wanted to punish Ashwathama, and he caught him alive.  Draupadi even in this condition was sensitive . She made an observation that Drona’s wife was a widow. She requested the Pandavas not to kill Ashwathama and make her son-less. She said that she could understand the pain of being a mother whose sons were murdered  and she did not want a widow to undergo that pain so she prayed to the Pandavas to spare Ashwathama .

On the other hand,  when Gandhari saw Krishna after the war, she cursed Krishna, to lose all His family including the entire Yadava clan. She said, “Just like I had to bear the news  of death of my sons you too O Vasudeva will experience the pain of your family getting destroyed.”  Of course Krishna used this curse to eliminate the yadavas who had completed their purpose of being here in this world.  Krishna was looking for a right reason to move them to other worlds.

We see whether we are on the good side or the bad side, the world we live in does not discriminate in regards to what should happen to us on a physical level.  Draupadi was on the side of Dharma, aided by Krishna the supreme God. Gandhari was personally dharmik but was surrounded by relatives who had nothing to do with dharma, and she unfortunately, showed family affection which was right,  to stand by them for their bad deeds was adharma from her side.  She continued to manifest adharma by cursing and Draupadi continued to abide by dharma by requesting the Pandavas to forgive Ashwathama. 

Both suffered the same fate-  loss of their children, both lost all their children, but the response of both was different.  This is the beauty of life, we have  very little control over  what happens to us !! What we do with what happens to us is within our control, and this is the greatest gift of God.  

The choice of our responses, either Gandhari style or Draupadi style Is always our property. We can either  squander our response with a negative attitude or build it by keeping a  positive approach . This is also our prerogative.