Mahabharata · 1.187.26–27
॥
Devanāgarī
द्रुपद उवाच
एकस्य बह्व्यो विहिता महिष्यः कुरुनन्दन ॥
नैकस्या बहवः पुंसो विधीयन्ते कदा चन ॥
लोकवेदविरुद्धं त्वं नाधर्मं धार्मिकः शुचिः ॥
कर्तुम् अर्हसि कौन्तेय कस्मात् ते बुद्धिर् ईदृशी ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
drupada uvāca
ekasya bahvyo vihitā mahiṣyaḥ kurunandana ||
naikasyā bahavaḥ puṃso vidhīyante kadā cana ||
lokavedaviruddhaṃ tvaṃ nādharmaṃ dhārmikaḥ śuciḥ ||
kartum arhasi kaunteya kasmāt te buddhir īdṛśī ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एकस्य बह्व्यः विहिताः महिष्यः कुरुनन्दनekasya bahvyaḥ vihitāḥ mahiṣyaḥ kurunandana"To one husband many wives are ordained, O joy of the Kurus,
न एकस्याः बहवः पुंसः विधीयन्ते कदा चनna ekasyāḥ bahavaḥ puṃsaḥ vidhīyante kadā canabut to one wife many husbands are never ordained;
लोकवेदविरुद्धं त्वं न अधर्मं धार्मिकः शुचिःlokavedaviruddhaṃ tvaṃ na adharmaṃ dhārmikaḥ śuciḥan unlawful act contrary to the world and the Veda you, righteous and pure,
कर्तुम् अर्हसि कौन्तेय कस्मात् ते बुद्धिः ईदृशीkartum arhasi kaunteya kasmāt te buddhiḥ īdṛśīought not to commit, O Kaunteya; whence comes this thought of yours?"
द्रुपदdrupadaoriginal form "drupada", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बह्व्योbahvyooriginal form "bahvyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विहिताvihitāoriginal form "vihitā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नैकस्याnaikasyāoriginal form "naikasyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुंसोpuṃsooriginal form "puṃso", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नाधर्मंnādharmaṃoriginal form "nādharmaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बुद्धिर्buddhiroriginal form "buddhir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Drupada said: "To one husband many wives are ordained, O joy of the Kurus, but to one wife many husbands are never ordained. An unlawful act contrary to the world and the Veda you, righteous and pure, ought not to commit, O Kaunteya; whence comes this thought of yours?"
Version
595824ec0921 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:44:41 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the voice of ordinary dharma objects, lawfully and weightily. It is telling that Drupada is right by the commonly accepted law: scripture and custom know no polyandry, and he warns a pure man against an apparent transgression. Drupada's objection is not obstinacy but sound piety: it guards the sanctity of the law. So scripture shows that an exception does not abolish the rule but rather confirms its weight; and Drupada's perplexity calls for a higher resolution.