Mythology can be read as attempts by early civilisations to offer explanations for the phenomena they observed around them. Nearly every culture has imaginative traditional narratives for why things are the way they are in the real world. Ranging from creation myths that tell you how the world was formed to why the camel has a hump or why the crow is black in colour, these stories escape logic but are certainly entertaining fodder! Here’s one such tale from Indian mythology.
Draupadi was married to the five famous Pandavas. She was as famed for her beauty as she was for her temper! Among the five brothers – Yudhishtra, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva – Bhima loved to play pranks and enjoy a good joke. His belly would shake with mirth and his appetite for laughter was just as huge as his appetite for a good meal. One day, Bhima was feeling bored. He saw Draupadi passing by and decided to play a prank.
“Oh my head feels so hot!” he called out to her, lying in bed. “I think I’m coming down with a fever!”
Draupadi stopped. She came towards Bhima, her forehead scrunched up anxiously. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I feel terrible!” Bhima moaned. “And my limbs! Oh they ache so much!” Draupadi immediately said that she would send for the physician. But Bhima shook his head. “No, I can’t bear this pain till he comes. Please, won’t you press my limbs a bit?”
Draupadi agreed at once. “I will get some hot water,” she said. “It will help.” Bhima nodded, still pretending to moan in pain. As soon as Draupadi left to get the hot water, Bhima jumped out of bed. He then arranged a bunch of strange-looking large fruits that he’d found in the forest in the shape of his body on the bed. He covered the fruits with a blanket and crept under the bed, trying hard not to quake with laughter. When Draupadi entered the bed, she wanted to remove Bhima’s blanket but the latter said, from under the bed, that his eyes were burning so much that he wanted to stay within the darkness of the blanket.
Draupadi started pressing what she thought were Bhima’s limbs. They felt strangely bulky and squishy to her, but she did not say anything because she didn’t want to disturb Bhima. She was worried about him and hoped very much that it was just fatigue and nothing else. Suddenly, the bed began to shake! Draupadi got up in fear. What was happening? And then, Bhima’s resounding laughter filled the room. Out he came from his hiding place. Draupadi was shocked. She lifted the blanket and saw to her consternation that she’d not been pressing her husband’s limbs but a bunch of fruit!
Draupadi was furious. She’d been really worried about Bhima’s health and here he was, laughing at her! But though she was angry with Bhima, she did not want to utter words against him that she would regret later. Draupadi knew that Bhima was a simple man and did not mean to hurt her. But she was still very angry! And so, Draupadi turned all her wrath towards the big green fruits that lay on the bed. “May these fruits grow thorns all over them so nobody gets fooled like I did!” she said. And as soon as Draupadi said this, her words came true.
Can you guess which fruit this is?
Yes, it’s the delicious jackfruit that Draupadi cursed! So the next time you eat jackfruit, smile… Bhima loves his practical jokes!