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@article{191129,
        author = {Dr. Purvi N. Upadhyay},
        title = {Re-Imagining the Epic Heroine: A Comparative Study of Draupadi in The Palace of Illusions and Yajnaseni},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {},
        volume = {12},
        number = {no},
        pages = {895-898},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=191129},
        abstract = {The Mahabharata’s Draupadi has long occupied a paradoxical position as both a symbol of victimhood and an emblem of agency. This paper examines two influential modern retellings of the epic from Draupadi’s perspective: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions and Pratibha Ray’s Yajnaseni. While both novels recover Draupadi’s silenced voice, they differ significantly in narrative strategy, ideological emphasis, and ethical vision. Divakaruni presents Draupadi as Panchaali, foregrounding her inner consciousness, emotional desires, and personal conflicts within a patriarchal epic framework. Ray, by contrast, frames Yajnaseni as a confessional letter to Krishna, portraying Draupadi as a morally reflective figure deeply engaged with questions of dharma, suffering, and social responsibility. Through a comparative analysis of narrative perspective, representation of female agency, and reinterpretation of myth and ethics, this paper argues that Divakaruni emphasizes individual subjectivity and mythic imagination, whereas Ray foregrounds injustice, collective suffering, and ethical accountability. Together, these texts demonstrate how contemporary Indian women writers reimagine epic heroines to interrogate gender, power, and duty in present-day society. Draupadi thus emerges as a dynamic cultural symbol through whom ancient myths are reconstituted to address modern gendered concerns.},
        keywords = {Draupadi; Myth Revision; Feminist Rewriting; The Palace of Illusions; Yajnaseni},
        month = {},
        }