वैशंपायन उवाच
युधिष्ठिरस् तु तच् छ्रुत्वा दुर्योधनचिकीर्षितम् ॥
द्रौपद्याः संमतं दूतं प्राहिणोद् भरतर्षभ ॥
एकवस्त्रा अधोनीवी रोदमाना रजस्वला ॥
सभाम् आगम्य पाञ्चाली श्वशुरस्याग्रतो ऽभवत् ॥
ततस् तेषां मुखम् आलोक्य राजा; दुर्योधनः सूतम् उवाच हृष्टः ॥
इहैवैताम् आनय प्रातिकामिन्; प्रत्यक्षम् अस्याः कुरवो ब्रुवन्तु ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
yudhiṣṭhiras tu tac chrutvā duryodhanacikīrṣitam ||
draupadyāḥ saṃmataṃ dūtaṃ prāhiṇod bharatarṣabha ||
ekavastrā adhonīvī rodamānā rajasvalā ||
sabhām āgamya pāñcālī śvaśurasyāgrato 'bhavat ||
tatas teṣāṃ mukham ālokya rājā; duryodhanaḥ sūtam uvāca hṛṣṭaḥ ||
ihaivaitām ānaya prātikāmin; pratyakṣam asyāḥ kuravo bruvantu ||
Yudhishthira, having heard of Duryodhana's design, sent to Draupadi a messenger she trusted, O bull among the Bharatas. In a single garment, with the lower knot loosened, weeping, in her days of impurity, having come to the assembly, the Panchali stood before her father-in-law [Dhritarashtra]. Then, looking upon their [the Pandavas'] faces, King Duryodhana, delighted, said to the suta: 'Bring her here indeed, Pratikamin; let the Kurus speak [their word] to her face.'
69cae1b94db2 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:03:37 PM UTC
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The queen, in her impurity, in a single garment, weeping, stands before the assembly — the outrage to her dignity unfolds before the eyes of her father-in-law and the elders. It is telling that Duryodhana is "delighted" at the sight of the grieving Pandavas' faces: another's humiliation delights him. The verse teaches that malicious joy is the final degree of corruption — to take pleasure not even in gain, but in another's disgrace. And "let them speak to her face" — he longs to complete the outrage publicly, stripping away even her last shame. Whoever rejoices in the humiliation of the defenseless has fallen lower than the one humiliated; and the more helpless the victim, the blacker the one who exults in her misfortune. The dignity of the wronged grows; the dignity of the mocker rots away.