2.Just one good or bad deed is enough – Story from Mahabharatha

 This is a mythological story, so it cannot be said that it happened. Both relate to Draupadi, the  wife  of Pandavas being disrobed by  Dussasana , brother of  Duryodhana in the  open court.

Having lost everything in gambling, Yudhishthira first gambled his brothers as pawns and failed. Finally lost his own wife Draupadi as bet. Dussasana dragged Draupadi, who was in the corner of inner secluded palace as she was in her  monthly periods, and brought her to the Kaurava assembly. He started disrobing her, in  front of all in the court.  The great father Bhishma, Guru Dronacharya, Karna the philanthropist, and Vidura the righteous all watched this violence with folded hands.

1. Draupadi and Srikrishna - A good deed only once

Draupadi called Krishna and cried: Oh Lord, only you can save my honour, Krishna, save me, save me.

Krishna asked: Draupadi, have you ever in your life given someone a piece of cloth to wear, if so I will surely save you.

Draupadi looked very distressed and finally said: Yes, Lord, once I was standing at the bank of a river and an old monk was taking a bath. He lost his  only cloth in the  running water. Seeing his distress, I cut one end of my saree and gave it to him to wear. So once and only once.

Bhagavan said: Well that is enough, I can give you infinitely long saree  for that one good deed. . Draupadi got a saree that could not be finished no matter how much Dussasana untied it.

2. A misdeed only once.

Another side of the same incident. As mentioned earlier, Dussasana began to undress Draupadi while the patriarch Bhishma, guru Dronacharya, Karna the charitable hero and Vidura the righteous were all watching. All of them were tragically killed in the war.

After the Kurukshetra war, Yudhishthira asked the Lord: Why were Grandpa Bhishma, Teacher Dronacharya and Pious Vidura killed in the war?

Bhagavan: Yes, once in their life, only once did they associate themselves with with a on-righteous person. When Draupadi was disrobed by Dussasana, these elders  stood silent and did not try to stop the heinous crime. By this single crime they have lost the fruits of their whole lives of good deeds.

Yudhi: Then Karna, the philanthropist?

Bhagavan: It is true that he did not try to interrupt Draupadi's disrobing, but more than that he committed another heinous act. When his son-like Abhimanyu was close to death because he could not get out of the chakravyuha, (special formation around him) someone brought him water. But Karna threw the cup on the ground. Killing him by cheating was not enough and he caused Abhimanyu to deny even the water he was given at the time of his death. Arjuna was able to kill Karna when the wheels of Karna's chariot sank on the wet ground. He also died untimely due to this single cause, though he was charitable throughout his life.

Yes, no matter how many good deeds are done, one failure is enough to destroy everything!! Sometimes we are saved by a good deed.

 

2. Just One Good or Bad Deed is Enough – A Story from the Mahabharata

This story from the Mahabharata may be mythological, but it illustrates a powerful moral lesson. The events revolve around Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, who was publicly humiliated by Dussasana, the brother of Duryodhana, in an open court.

After losing everything in a game of dice, Yudhishthira wagered his brothers, and then, in a final desperate bet, staked his own wife, Draupadi. Dussasana then dragged Draupadi from her private quarters—where she had been secluded due to her monthly cycle—to the Kaurava assembly. There, in front of everyone, he began to disrobe her. Notably, elders like Bhishma, Dronacharya, the generous Karna, and the righteous Vidura all stood by silently, watching this atrocity with folded hands.

1. Draupadi and Krishna – The Power of a Single Good Deed

In her moment of despair, Draupadi called out to Krishna, saying, “Oh Lord, only you can save my honour. Please, Krishna, save me, save me!”

Krishna responded, “Draupadi, have you ever, even once in your life, given someone a piece of cloth to wear? If so, I will surely save you.”

In distress, Draupadi thought back and replied, “Yes, Lord. Once, while standing by a river, I saw an old monk who had lost his only cloth in the flowing water. Seeing his plight, I cut a piece from the end of my sari and gave it to him to wear. Just once.”

Krishna said, “That single act is enough. For that one good deed, I grant you a sari of infinite length.”

No matter how much Dussasana tried, he could not exhaust Draupadi’s sari.

2. The Consequences of a Single Misdeed

The story has another side. While Dussasana tried to disrobe Draupadi, Bhishma, Dronacharya, Karna, and Vidura all watched in silence. Eventually, all of them met tragic ends in the war that followed.

After the Kurukshetra War, Yudhishthira asked Krishna, “Why were Great Grandpa Bhishma, Teacher Dronacharya, and the virtuous Vidura killed in the war?”

Krishna replied, “Once in their lives, each of them associated with unrighteousness. When Draupadi was humiliated, they stood by silently and did nothing to prevent that terrible crime. By this single failure, they forfeited the fruits of a lifetime of good deeds.”

Yudhishthira then asked, “What about Karna, the generous hero?”

Krishna answered, “Karna not only stayed silent during Draupadi’s disrobing, but he also committed another unforgivable act. When young Abhimanyu was dying in the chakravyuha (a complex battle formation), someone brought him water. Yet Karna cruelly threw the cup to the ground, denying him even a sip in his last moments. His noble life of charity could not save him, and he was ultimately killed when his chariot wheel sank into the wet earth—a fate linked to his past misdeeds.”

Thus, the story conveys a powerful lesson: no matter how many good deeds are accumulated, a single misdeed can destroy everything. Conversely, even one act of kindness can save us in our darkest hour.