Mahabharata · 1.188.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
ततो मुहूर्तान् मधुरां वाणीम् उच्चार्य पार्षतः ॥
पप्रच्छ तं महात्मानं द्रौपद्यर्थे विशां पतिः ॥
कथम् एका बहूनां स्यान् न च स्याद् धर्मसंकरः ॥
एतन् नो भगवान् सर्वं प्रब्रवीतु यथातथम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tato muhūrtān madhurāṃ vāṇīm uccārya pārṣataḥ ||
papraccha taṃ mahātmānaṃ draupadyarthe viśāṃ patiḥ ||
katham ekā bahūnāṃ syān na ca syād dharmasaṃkaraḥ ||
etan no bhagavān sarvaṃ prabravītu yathātatham ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः मुहूर्तात् मधुरां वाणीम् उच्चार्य पार्षतःtataḥ muhūrtāt madhurāṃ vāṇīm uccārya pārṣataḥthen, after a moment, having uttered sweet words, Parshata [Drupada],
पप्रच्छ तं महात्मानं द्रौपद्यर्थे विशां पतिःpapraccha taṃ mahātmānaṃ draupadyarthe viśāṃ patiḥquestioned that great [Vyasa] about Draupadi, the lord of the people:
कथम् एका बहूनां स्यात् न च स्यात् धर्मसंकरःkatham ekā bahūnāṃ syāt na ca syāt dharmasaṃkaraḥ'how can one [woman be the wife] of many, and let there be no confusion of dharma?
एतत् नः भगवान् सर्वं प्रब्रवीतु यथातथम्etat naḥ bhagavān sarvaṃ prabravītu yathātathamall this, O lord, tell us as it truly is';
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मुहूर्तान्muhūrtānoriginal form "muhūrtān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्यान्syānoriginal form "syān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्याद्syādoriginal form "syād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एतन्etanoriginal form "etan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नोnooriginal form "no", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Drupada said: 'Then, after a moment, having uttered sweet words, Drupada, lord of the people, questioned the great Vyasa about Draupadi: "How can one woman be the wife of many, and let there be no confusion of dharma? Tell us all this, O lord, as it truly is."'
Version
a3aa4280ea9d · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:44:41 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the king brings his perplexity to the most worthy judge. It is telling that Drupada, not resolving the dispute himself, questions Vyasa: a difficulty in dharma should be brought before one who knows, not decided on one's own. In this lies the humility of a mind that recognizes the limits of its own understanding. Thus scripture shows Drupada's wholesome caution, and his question opens the sage's mouth.