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Abstract
Since ancient times in India particularly in Hinduism and Budhism, dharma has been propagated as a moral code which is carrying forward through various means like myth, art, culture and painting etc., and is believed to be a noble truth which is to be followed in life but sometimes dharma appears as a wicked force of dehumanization rather than a guiding force of morality if practiced and handled inappropriately. This paper intends to counter the question of dharma, whether is a moral code or a dominating force and aspire to demonstrate the role of dharma in the life of Draupadi in Pratibha Ray’s Yajnaseni. It tries to examine how the concept of dharma appears in disguise as a tool of patriarchal dominance and an exploitative force in the life of Draupadi. The prior objective of this study is to reflect the affliction of a devoted wife following dharma that brings forth the reality of dharma in her life as an idea of dominance which leads directly towards suffering, inequality, injustice, and marginalization. The inspiration for this paper comes from Volga’s The Liberation of Sita where the female characters seems to revolt against all patriarchal ideologies that are making them devoid of their rights. This study tries to represent the inevitable dharma which is enforced on the psyche of a venerable woman as obligation and is referred as the only truth. And the major motive behind this paper is to probe the psychological destruction of Draupadi while following dharma.