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| Arjuna (Wikimedia) |
- In the Mahabharata, the Pandava brothers have to spend the last year of their exile incognito. They cannot be recognized, and if they are, it will add twelve years to their exile. They choose to go under cover in Matsya in the court of King Virata.
- Arjuna chooses to pretend to be a eunuch named Brihannala and serve in the women's quarters. He does this in order to wear bracelets that will cover the scars on his arms from his bow and to fulfill the curse of Urvashi that was made in Indra's palace.
- Urvashi had been insulted by Arjuna's refusal to sleep with her, so she cursed him to be a eunuch who could only sing and dance with women. Indra requested that she confine the curse to a single year, with a year being the same amount of time that Arjuna had to stay incognito.
- Little is said within the Mahabharata about Arjuna's experiences in the women's quarters of the palace. He became a dance teacher to the princess Uttara, who he viewed as a daughter, and made friends with many of the women.
- It would be interesting to tell a story about Arjuna's experience with the women. What did he learn about women that he may not have known? Did he develop a deeper understanding about what their life is like or the different way in which they perceive the world? Did he develop a greater sense of empathy for women's lot in life in a patriarchal world?
- The story could be told of any man who is put in a similar situation and the deeper understanding that comes from living in the world of the other gender.
Bibliography: Mahabharata by Narayan. Web Source.
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