Q: Black Draupadi?

[Luis Gonzalez-Reimann]

A common name of Draupadii in the Mahaabhaarata is K.ri.s.naa, 'the black one.'


Luis Gonzalez-Reimann
University of California, Berkeley


At 09:45 PM 8/18/97 BST, you wrote:
>While I have heard of a (highly argued over) Black Athena, I only today 
>read of a Black Draupadi. It occurs on p. ix of _Imaginary Maps_, which 
>is a translation of three stories by Mahasweta Devi, translated from the 
>Bengali by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and published by Routledge USA and 
>Thema Calcutta in 1995. The stories are preceded by a section called "The 
>Author in 
>Conversation". Here is where Mahasweta Devi mentions that Draupadi was 
>black. She says, "Remember, Draupadi in the _Mahabharata_ is a black 
>woman. She must have been a tribal." 
>
>I haven't finished reading the _Mahabharata_ yet, and I don't remember 
>everything I have read of it, but I don't recall Draupadi being black 
>or a tribal. Does anyone else?
>
>Gratefully,
>Bob Hueckstedt 
>
>Robert A. Hueckstedt, Associate Professor of Indic Languages
>Asian Studies Centre, 328 Fletcher Argue, University of Manitoba
>Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada
>http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/asian_studies
>fax 1 204-261-4483 phones 1 204-474-8964, 1 204-488-4797
>
>
>
>