The Five Women Summary

The Five Women

CHARACTERS

👩👩👩👩👩FIVE WOMEN

                    1. Godhumi

                    2. Gomati

                    3. Yamuna

                    4. Vitasta

                    5. Vipasha

👩Arya Subhadra

👩Uttara (Daughter in Law of Arya)

👩Abhimanya (Uttara’s Husband)

👩Draupadi

👩Madraja

👨👨Kauravas & Pandavas

👨Chandals

PLACE

👐Kurujangal

COMMUNITY

➧Rajavritta Community

➧Janavritta Community

NAME OF THE BATTLEFIELD: Dharmayutha Battlefield

BACKGROUND

     This is a short story which talks about five women; this story is centered on the epic Mahabharata. Uttara always associates with these five women as she feels that they are freer than the royal women.

SUMMARY - INTERPRETATION

Battlefield

          The short story starts with the end of the battlefield named Dharmayutha. Now the funeral procession takes place for the dead heroes of the Kauravas and Pandavas are being cremated. As the dead people were burning, there were crowd of five women kneeing and crying out in grief. The only word that the crowd can hear from the mourning are: Hai! Hai!  These five women does not belong to the Rajavritta community, these women does not belong to the royal families nor they are servants. But these five women belong to the families of hundred foot soldiers named Padatik’s (i.e. from various other little Kingdoms).  These Heroes were not given amours to protect themselves and so they died large in numbers. The Wooden Pyre’s were socked in oil so that the pyres burn for days. The Chandals have no role in war and they arrived there only to carry all the dead hero’s, their duty was to collect the wooden pyres. As the pyres were shattered into pieces the five women arose and they walked back to their royal city.

Custom of Widowhood

          Then the five women squatted and took a plan black cloth then they striped back cloth and covered their breast, around the wrist and covered their heads.     

“Black cloth symbolizes that their husbands are dead”

➤Fragrant Wreaths,

➤Sandal paste and Kumkum for the skin,

➤Elaborated Oil,

➤Perfume Coiffures  

All these were banished from their lives; their life would be now stripped off from luxury & leisure. Acharya were instructing the five women about the rules of widowhood, The five women were stunned and they listened silently.     

Madraja’s Conversation with the five women

Madraja – The Head of royal women’s quarters

Madraja who herself was a women of Kurujangal region. She sees these five women and says that they are still young. The five women remained silent and went back. Then Madraja notices and thinks that the five women’s leg, shoulders, arms were used to work hard. Then she stated that Arya Subhadra a venerable Queen needs women to take care of her widowed daughter-in-law named as Uttara.

The five women accept Madraja's words.

Now Madraja ask the five women to come with him then the five women states that we refuse to serve as dasis, and to live as dasis. Then Madraja states that:

 No, No you will be Uttara’s companions.

Five women entering the kingdom:

       The five women enters the kingdom where they meet Arya Subhadra and she again states that they have to accompany Uttara the five women ask "What is our duty?". Then Arya Subhadra says nothing in particular do whatever Uttara wants. Uttara was sitting very silently and she was in a sorrowful state as the death of her husband  has turned her into a stone.

       Then enters Draupadi the senior queen and she ask the five women to introduce themselves where Godhumi introduce everyone as:

1. I am Godhumi

2. This is Gomati holding my hand.

3. That's Yamuna with the red spot between her Brows.

4. That one standing there with a figure on her chin is Vitasta.

5. This is Vipasha [Vitasta's Little Sister]

         Suddenly Uttara speaks that they are named after rivers.

The five women entered into Uttara’s quarters and as days passed on Uttara grows easy and free and she is very comfortable with the five women. Now she feels very happy and has been frozen in time speechless and still and she was not able to accept the loss of her husband Abhimanya.

     Ask Kunti here's all these he says good and he says that they are from a totally different world and Uttara’s heart is bound to be a lighter in their company.

Uttara's Happiness and Habits:

      Utara now cannot spend even a moment without the five women. She takes her bath only after they fetch water from the river - as her mother in law would have said that it is very good and healthy custom. And it is said that it is good for growing baby in the womb.

Riddles

     Then the five women with Uttara play game of riddle. Where they ask:

                             No legs and yet it takes flight

                             No yes but it can hear all right

                             No eye but still it has sight.

 Can you guess what it is asks the five women, Utara replies No I can't. Then the five women laughed and told her "The Human Mind" as it can go anywhere can hear and understand anything. And even when you shut your eyes your mind can see everything clearly.

    Uttara then claps her hand and laughs as a child. Yamuna says that O Royal daughter in law you are still a little girl! Uttara then ask for one more riddle.

Gomati says, All right listen:

First it is born in water

Then it is born on land.

      Pearl - first it's born inside an oyster in the water. Then it is taken out to land as a crystal i.e. pearl

Reward

     The sound of Uttara's laughter gives Arya Subhadra such a relief. Then Subhadra thinks that she has to reward Madraja as she was a one who brought these five women into Kingdom. Madraja was rewarded a diamond studded bracelet. And then Subhadra says to give them whatever the five women ask for. And the five women asked the coloured yarn.

Appearance of Five Women:

👉They are skin is coloured of ripe.

👉Their Eyes were bluish

👉Their corporate hair was tightly braided

👉The dress only in black cloth

👉Then they are in Indore they don't cover their heads as they move to the outdoor they cover their heads.

      Now the five women massage Uttara skin with scented herbal oils and the five women's touch makes Uttara relax herself. Then the five women go off to have their meal. They sit in the garden of women's quarters:

Green grasses all around, scattered mango trees, flowering of Mahadhavi Creepers. They dry their hair, sit together and talk. Uttara seas the five women and feels that "They don't talk to me like that".

Uttara thinks of her child:

She feels that it will be good if she gets a girl baby because if it all she gets a boy he too will go to what. But the royal midwife says on looking at Uttara’s face:  "you will get a grandson". And the midwife says that if I am right then I will expect upload of good and fertile land as I would wish to spend my last years of my life in the midst of my Children's and their families. Uttara now cannot sleep I should works she looks at the windows and she talks to Arya Subhadra and states that these five women are different and Arya points out that How different they are.

          Uttara says that these five women always are together they sleep together the walk together they eat together the bath together and the do everything together.

          And they always take me to the garden at the day break. And detail me to walk with bare footed on the grass, they make me to fold clothes and water up Tulasi plant and she asks to Arya Subhadra - Do you know why?

          Then Utara says that a pregnant woman does not just lie down and rest. They keep busy doing little chores. They say that is the nature of women to bear children. Just because a woman is pregnant it doesn't mean that she should indulge and pampered her body. If I keep active the birth will be easier for me.

Song of Mourning:

           Then Uttara here's the song and asks to Arya who is singing I am trying to follow it but I can hear only Hai! Hai!.

          Then Arya says that they are not singing but they are lamenting. Then she states that their husbands we killed in the war and they were farmers they grow Golden wheat, good quality jowar, oil seeds, spinach, Ginger, turmeric, sugarcane and so on. Then Subhadra says that they don't need to buy food as the soil of Kurujangal is so rich full stop when they are sent for, there man go to war fight them and return home full stop this time they are not return. That's why they are singing a mourning song.

The fields of golden wheat lie Un-ploughed hai hai!

Who will go there with ox and Plough hai hai!

Naming the child

Royal People	Common People
It was a Elaborated Process	They weighed against food grains,
With Pujas, Yagnas, Offerings to Agni	Grandparents  Choose Name for the child
The Elder males usually Discuss the name for the child	Then the Head of the baby is shaved,
Priest - Study the Sign	They bathed the child in warm water, and then music is played,
Acharya – Draw up the Horoscope.	Maternal Uncle – Feeds Ghee Payesh

Wheat growing:

          Gomati then speaks to herself that as the wheat begins to rippen the birds arrive. All the day both boys and girls shout, make noise and they keep the bird at the bay.

          Vipasha says that not only men keep watch over the feels all the night as the deer would come to eat the crop. But women also go to the war as Vitasta says that the women also guard the feels as once her mother fought a deer to death. Spear is the foot soldiers weapon.

Clay Making

             Vitasta's fingers are always busy as she fetches clay from the river bank. She makes little clay figures as she makes bird, horse, deer carts, men, mother with children. She then bakes them in the heat of the Sun and paints them. She makes these toys for Uttara’s baby.

Life at Village:

          If at village what will you do ask Uttara. The five women replied they would clean be heart and the yard, and then they collect fire wood, fetch water from the river. Mother in laws churns milk, turn it into butter, curd, ghee. They comb, oil and braid the hair of the daughters and daughter in law. Then they tell stories to the grandchildren.

Sign of Monsoon:

          Once the rain passes over the five women present themselves to Uttara and says that: the earth has grown cool now and  it's time for us to leave princess.

Why do you have to?

Godhumi says we have to get married.

Get married? But you're...

Then they say that are husbands wear food soldiers we looked and looked for their bodies every evening after battle. Finally Maharma Vidura after 18 years has arranged a mass cremation for all the food soldiers and so many pryre are burning. Then the five women folded their hands and said when we are widowed be marry our brother in laws that's the rule of our janavritta Community. And they say that the fields are lying unplugged, the villagers untended. We must go.

          All the eyes are turning into the five women in astonishment.

Five women last words:

We will create life that's what nature teaches us

Crying won't bring them back to life

                     And they also say that this is not Dharmayutha brothers killing brothers, uncle kills nephew... it may be your idea of Dharma but not ours.

Conclusion

           Vitasta places a basket full of clay toys at Uttara’s feet. The five women bow before the Queens now the senior Queen Draupadi comes forward and touches their head and blesses them and she says

"Go, go towards your fulfillment"

Then Draupadi ask the five women will you come to see Uttara child? The five women replied yes we will and they would sit in the same Garden and sing a song for the baby. Draupadi then speaks in a chocked voice

May you find peace

May you find fulfillment

May you return to the world of the every day’s life.

          The five women walks out go, Godhumi turns back and says that the water of your bath is ready my dear.  Uttara picks up the basket of dolls and she thinks to herself:

May you all be happy.

 Some Possible Questions:

1. What did Uttara feel when she saw the five Women? 

2. Differentiate the custom of naming the child in royal families and common people.

3. What was Draupati's message at the end of the short story?