Polyandry and Morality

Mahabharata Adiparva Vaivahikaparva section 195-202

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

The subject of Krishna(Draupadi) being a common wife of the 5 Pandavas, becomes a cause of concern for King Drupada, Kunti and others except Yudhistir. Sage Vyasa happens to reach there and the King requests him to solve the question of whether polyandry is sin according to the moral laws prevalent at that time.

Sage Vyasa takes King into a separate chamber to discourse on that concern. Once upon a time, a great sacrifice was performed by all Devatas (angels). Lord of death, Yama presides over the sacrifice of animals and during the course of that sacrifice, forgets to kill a single human being. The human population expands and all the angels ask Brahmaji to solve that problem. He says that Lord of death, Yama will remove most of humanity in one scoop after the sacrifice is over. Note : This is a forewarning of the Kurukshetra war.

Meanwhile Lord of angels, Indra, sees golden lotuses in river Bhagirathi. He goes upstream to find out the cause of those lotuses. He sees a beautiful lady with tears. Each tear formed a golden lotus. He asks her for the reason of her sadness. She guides him to a mountain on Himalayas where a youth is playing dice with his consort. The youth is none other than Lord Mahadeva (Lord Shiva the destructive force of the universe). Indra out of his pride disturbs the youth's game, who casts a glance at Indra. That one look robs Indra of all strength and he becomes paralysed. After sometime Isana (Shiva) grants him strength, and asks him to enter into a cave, where the Indras of previous ages were waiting to be reborn. Isana tells Indra that due to pride the earlier Indras also lost their power and were languishing there. They have to take rebirth in human form and do their spiritual practices to regain their lost glory. Indra begs for forgiveness, and requests Mahadeva that a portion of Indra be taken and that portion along with other four Indra's should be made to take birth in human form and do the bidding of Isana. Lord Mahadeva grants their wishes and says that the Lady (who is Sri) will be their common wife in human form.

The five Indras were Vishwabhuk, Bhutadaman, Sibi, Shanti, Tejaswi. Isana takes them to Narayana, who is the unmanifest, immeasurable, final refuge, The eternal who approves of this.

Saying this Vyasa out of his ascetic power, grants Drupada divine insight into the real nature of the Pandavas. King Drupada sees them as Five divine beings , Five Indras of divine splendour. Drupada sees his daughter as the divine being Sri. He approves of the marriage of his daughter to the five brothers, saying that, divine will can never be questioned.

My Commentary :

Indra stands for mind, and the five Indras might be five qualities of mind Vishwabhuk (creative force / desire / wants), Bhutadaman (lordship over sensory organs), shibi (charity / giving), shanti (peace), Tejaswi (positive energy). When pride destroys the positive aspects of mind, it becomes paralysed or becomes inactive. Sri stands for Grace of god. Through the grace of god, those positive aspects can be cultivated in mind and it can be brought back from paralysis.

In Guruseva

Hari OM