Draupadi’s prayer

Courtesy:Smt.Dr.Saroja Ramanujam

The scene was the assembly of kouravas. Dharma puthra was invited for a game of dice by the cunning Sakuni and as he thought it to be a matter of royal protocol he accepted it. Actually he had a weakness for gambling and it was only an excuse that one should not refuse an invitation for the game of dice according to the etiquette of kings. Any way the game of dice started and Pandavas lost all and Yudhidhtira placed his brothers and himself as stakes and lost . Finally he was goaded to put Droupadhi as stake and lost her too. 
Then started the most sinful episode of Mahabharatha which paved the way for the destruction of the kouravas. Droupadhi was dragged to the sabha and Dussasana , ordered by Duryodhana started disrobing her. Even to write this brings tears to the eyes. She appealed to her husbands who were mute and helpless spectators and to the elders in the sabha like Bhishma and Dhritharashtra ,who should have known better but blinded also figuratively by his attachment to his son. No one came to her help and stopped Dussasana.
Why was this so? Did Bhishma and others not know it was wrong or were they afraid of Duryodhana? There is no sufficient explanation given in the epic. We could only remind ourselves of the words of the Lord that He makes the sinners repeat their sin so that they will be destroyed and will be purged of evil after several janmas. It is also the will of the Lord to show the power of devotion.
Then losing all hopes she called out to Krishna her only savior. 
maDhye kurooNaam aTha paandavaanaam 
dhuSSaaSanenaahrthavasthrakeSaa
krshNaathadhaakroSath ananyanaaThaa
govindha dhaamodharamaadhavethi
In the midst of the assembly of Kurus when her garment was being pulled by Dussasana, Krishnaa, (Droupadhi) cried loud seeing no other protector, "Govinda, Damaodara . Madhava!
Wonder of wonders! Her garment grew and grew till the villain who was pulling it got tired and fell down in a swoon! Thus He proved what he was going to say later in Gita, kountheya prathijaaneehi na me bhakthaH praNasyathi, " Arjuna, take it from me, never will my devotees come to harm"
But why did He wait so long was the question asked generally and it is answered that since she was trying to protect herself till then, He was waiting till she gave up all efforts to cover herself and raised her arms and cried. . I do not think it could be so because the Lord will not wait when His devotee is in distress. Let us think about it for a moment. When the saree is being pulled by one how long will it take for it to come off? Only few seconds. Hence everything must have happened within a minute or so. 
Also there is a version that Krishna felt indebted to her because once she saved his honour when he was in the river and his garment slipped from him and swept along the current and Droupadi sensing it, tore her saree and gave it to him. The Lord is not like us to return a favour done. It may be a drama to set the stage for a future one to show the world the truth of His statement in the Gita but He is a ocean of mercy and needs no reason to help His devotees . The whole scene was through His will of course to sow the seed for the destruction of the wicked, Vinaasaaya cha dhushkrthaam. But the parthraaNaaya saaDhoonaam takes the precedence.
He showed this in His incarnation as Narasimha , saying that whoever torments His devotee will be destroyed. But He does not allow the devotees to suffer and immediately comes to the rescue as He did with Prahladha, Dhroupadhi and Gajendhra.
Let us call Him , like Droupadhi did ,
Let us call Him , like Droupadhi did ,
He krshNa vishno maDhukaitabhaare 
bhakthaanukampin bhagvan muraare
thraaysva maam kesavalokanaaThaa
Govindha dhamodhara maaDhavethi
Oh Krishna, you are Lord Vishnu who destroyed the demons Madhu and Kaitabha , You are the most merciful towards devotees. Oh Lord Murari, Kesava , the Lord of the universe, protect me, I will call your names Govinda, Damodara and Madhava.
He will certainly come to us .