I've been an ardent fan of Mahabharata, but now that I think about it, except for Draupadi, Amba etc. getting their rightful revenge, it actually normalises rape and materialising women during several instances... Here are a few I remember:

Sage Parashara sleeps with Satyavati, in spite of her unwillingness, his only assurance to her that she will go back to being a virgin after giving birth to his child and she gets a “divine fragrance” (because apparently trauma is fine if you get perfume out of it; wth?)

Bheeshma "ACQUIRING" Ambika and Ambalika from their swayamvar for Vichitravirya....

Salva refusing to marry Amba, because he got defeated by Bheeshma.

Satyavati later calls on Vyasa to impregnate her daughters-in-law (who are clearly repulsed by him) by something called "niyoga", which does not make the term rape better in any way. And mind you, they were not even asked for consent. It is nauseating to think that Satyavati, herself, who went through something similar, did this. Oh, also after, Ambika, one of the victims, sends her maid to Vyasa, when he comes to impregnate her again... Ik it was a desperate move, Ambika, but way to go👏

Kunti accidentally calls upon Surya to test her powers, when she's still a child, and poor Lord Surya, bound by his duty, rapes her and leaves her to have his kid.

Pandu having no issue with the fact that multiple gods are sleeping with his wives, just so that he can have a son, which is obv not his.

Dhritarashtra impregnating Sugadha, Gandhari's maid, because Gandhari did not deliver her child past usual due... Apparently, being desperate for a child (i mean, a SON), is a valid reason to rape a maid

And yes, Draupadi is powerful. She questions the court. She refuses silence. But she and Bhanumati are both gambled away like property before anyone suddenly remembers morality exists.

Basically, Lineage > women. Sons > consent. Dynasty > dignity.

Droupadi had her faults, but she never once insulted Karna OR Duryodhan. Not at her swayamvar, not in Indraprastha. The dyutsabha happened over men's egos and their fights over property, not as "revenge" for droupadi insulting them.

Like, I get it, they were giving her more agency or whatever. But that kinda undermines the point of how an innocent woman who had nothing to do with any of this became collateral damage. Instead we get "well... The Kouravas were wrong, but she was casteist and arrogant ykwim?? 🤷"

No. She wasn't.

And that's not all.

Kunti and Madri had their squabbles and jealousy. Madri did admit she could never love kunti's sons they way kunti could love madri's. But the serial wanted to really drive it in that Kunti is the saint and Madri is the bitch, so they somehow went and managed to make Pandu's curse Madri's fault. The poor woman wasn't even present when the guy went and shot random deers. But nope, better make him an innocent victim who only hunted the deer cause his bitch wife threw a tantrum.

Oh, and Subhadra. This is another problem I have with the "giving women agency" take they did.

The original story went that Arjun got absolutely smitten with her and Krishna suggested taking her with him so they won't have to deal w a swayamvar. We don't actually know what subhadra thought about all this, but we do know she loves the guy.

So a truly "feminist" version would've had Arjun speak to Subhadra first and then had the two of them decide.

But what we got was poor unwilling Arjun who totally did NOT want to marry her getting coaxed into agreeing by Subhadra and Krishna. And he marries her for the super noble cause of saving her from marrying Duryodhan (never happened btw. Y did they even make that up?), NOT because he wants her.

plot: 80%

And then 20% of this every time a asura/god/sage addressed the main group:

Aiden : I am not a pandava

Aiden : Actually i am not one of them I was temporarily granted pandava privilege.

Aiden: Pandavas and half Apsara.

Aiden I am not a pandava hero Dammit.

Near the ending when he does this again:

Kamadeva: Yes yes child. Don't make a fuss about this. Marriage to the Pandavas still makes you one of them. Calm down dear Draupadi.

Aiden: *Shocked pikachu face*

Aru: ......

Brynne: .......

Mini: ......

Aru: Those who want to call him wifey from now on say "aye"

Brynne: Aye

Mini: Aye