Mahabharata 3.250.1-9

Devanāgarī

वैशंपायन उवाच
अथाब्रवीद् द्रौपदी राजपुत्री; पृष्टा शिबीनां प्रवरेण तेन ॥
अवेक्ष्य मन्दं प्रविमुच्य शाखां; संगृह्णती कौशिकम् उत्तरीयम् ॥
बुद्ध्याभिजानामि नरेन्द्रपुत्र; न मादृशी त्वाम् अभिभाष्टुम् अर्हा ॥
न त्वेह वक्तास्ति तवेह वाक्यम्; अन्यो नरो वाप्य् अथ वापि नारी ॥
एका ह्य् अहं संप्रति तेन वाचं; ददानि वै भद्र निबोध चेदम् ॥
अहं ह्य् अरण्ये कथम् एकम् एका; त्वाम् आलपेयं निरता स्वधर्मे ॥
जानामि च त्वां सुरथस्य पुत्रं; यं कोटिकाश्येति विदुर् मनुष्याः ॥
तस्माद् अहं शैब्य तथैव तुभ्यम्; आख्यामि बन्धून् प्रति तन् निबोध ॥
अपत्यम् अस्मि द्रुपदस्य राज्ञः; कृष्णेति मां शैब्य विदुर् मनुष्याः ॥
साहं वृणे पञ्च जनान् पतित्वे; ये खाण्डवप्रस्थगताः श्रुतास् ते ॥
युधिष्ठिरो भीमसेनार्जुनौ च; माद्र्याश् च पुत्रौ पुरुषप्रवीरौ ॥
ते मां निवेश्येह दिशश् चतस्रो; विभज्य पार्था मृगयां प्रयाताः ॥
प्राचीं राजा दक्षिणां भीमसेनो; जयः प्रतीचीं यमजाव् उदीचीम् ॥
मन्ये तु तेषां रथसत्तमानां; कालो ऽभितः प्राप्त इहोपयातुम् ॥
संमानिता यास्यथ तैर् यथेष्टं; विमुच्य वाहान् अवगाहयध्वम् ॥
प्रियातिथिर् धर्मसुतो महात्मा; प्रीतो भविष्यत्य् अभिवीक्ष्य युष्मान् ॥
एतावद् उक्त्वा द्रुपदात्मजा सा; शैब्यात्मजं चन्द्रमुखी प्रतीता ॥
विवेश तां पर्णकुटीं प्रशस्तां; संचिन्त्य तेषाम् अतिथिस्वधर्मम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
athābravīd draupadī rājaputrī; pṛṣṭā śibīnāṃ pravareṇa tena ||
avekṣya mandaṃ pravimucya śākhāṃ; saṃgṛhṇatī kauśikam uttarīyam ||
buddhyābhijānāmi narendraputra; na mādṛśī tvām abhibhāṣṭum arhā ||
na tveha vaktāsti taveha vākyam; anyo naro vāpy atha vāpi nārī ||
ekā hy ahaṃ saṃprati tena vācaṃ; dadāni vai bhadra nibodha cedam ||
ahaṃ hy araṇye katham ekam ekā; tvām ālapeyaṃ niratā svadharme ||
jānāmi ca tvāṃ surathasya putraṃ; yaṃ koṭikāśyeti vidur manuṣyāḥ ||
tasmād ahaṃ śaibya tathaiva tubhyam; ākhyāmi bandhūn prati tan nibodha ||
apatyam asmi drupadasya rājñaḥ; kṛṣṇeti māṃ śaibya vidur manuṣyāḥ ||
sāhaṃ vṛṇe pañca janān patitve; ye khāṇḍavaprasthagatāḥ śrutās te ||
yudhiṣṭhiro bhīmasenārjunau ca; mādryāś ca putrau puruṣapravīrau ||
te māṃ niveśyeha diśaś catasro; vibhajya pārthā mṛgayāṃ prayātāḥ ||
prācīṃ rājā dakṣiṇāṃ bhīmaseno; jayaḥ pratīcīṃ yamajāv udīcīm ||
manye tu teṣāṃ rathasattamānāṃ; kālo 'bhitaḥ prāpta ihopayātum ||
saṃmānitā yāsyatha tair yatheṣṭaṃ; vimucya vāhān avagāhayadhvam ||
priyātithir dharmasuto mahātmā; prīto bhaviṣyaty abhivīkṣya yuṣmān ||
etāvad uktvā drupadātmajā sā; śaibyātmajaṃ candramukhī pratītā ||
viveśa tāṃ parṇakuṭīṃ praśastāṃ; saṃcintya teṣām atithisvadharmam ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

वैशंपायन उवाच अथाब्रवीद् द्रौपदी राजपुत्री; पृष्टा शिबीनां प्रवरेण तेन ॥ अवेक्ष्य मन्दं प्रविमुच्य शाखां; संगृह्णती कौशिकम् उत्तरीयम् ॥ बुद्ध्याभिजानामि नरेन्द्रपुत्र; न मादृशी त्वाम् अभिभाष्टुम् अर्हा ॥ न त्वेह वक्तास्ति तवेह वाक्यम्; अन्यो नरो वाप्य् अथ वापि नारी ॥ एका ह्य् अहं संप्रति तेन वाचं; ददानि वै भद्र निबोध चेदम् ॥ अहं ह्य् अरण्ये कथम् एकम् एका; त्वाम् आलपेयं निरता स्वधर्मे ॥ जानामि च त्वां सुरथस्य पुत्रं; यं कोटिकाश्येति विदुर् मनुष्याः ॥ तस्माद् अहं शैब्य तथैव तुभ्यम्; आख्यामि बन्धून् प्रति तन् निबोध ॥ अपत्यम् अस्मि द्रुपदस्य राज्ञः; कृष्णेति मां शैब्य विदुर् मनुष्याः ॥ साहं वृणे पञ्च जनान् पतित्वे; ये खाण्डवप्रस्थगताः श्रुतास् ते ॥ युधिष्ठिरो भीमसेनार्जुनौ च; माद्र्याश् च पुत्रौ पुरुषप्रवीरौ ॥ ते मां निवेश्येह दिशश् चतस्रो; विभज्य पार्था मृगयां प्रयाताः ॥ प्राचीं राजा दक्षिणां भीमसेनो; जयः प्रतीचीं यमजाव् उदीचीम् ॥ मन्ये तु तेषां रथसत्तमानां; कालो ऽभितः प्राप्त इहोपयातुम् ॥ संमानिता यास्यथ तैर् यथेष्टं; विमुच्य वाहान् अवगाहयध्वम् ॥ प्रियातिथिर् धर्मसुतो महात्मा; प्रीतो भविष्यत्य् अभिवीक्ष्य युष्मान् ॥ एतावद् उक्त्वा द्रुपदात्मजा सा; शैब्यात्मजं चन्द्रमुखी प्रतीता ॥ विवेश तां पर्णकुटीं प्रशस्तां; संचिन्त्य तेषाम् अतिथिस्वधर्मम् ॥vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca athābravīd draupadī rājaputrī; pṛṣṭā śibīnāṃ pravareṇa tena || avekṣya mandaṃ pravimucya śākhāṃ; saṃgṛhṇatī kauśikam uttarīyam || buddhyābhijānāmi narendraputra; na mādṛśī tvām abhibhāṣṭum arhā || na tveha vaktāsti taveha vākyam; anyo naro vāpy atha vāpi nārī || ekā hy ahaṃ saṃprati tena vācaṃ; dadāni vai bhadra nibodha cedam || ahaṃ hy araṇye katham ekam ekā; tvām ālapeyaṃ niratā svadharme || jānāmi ca tvāṃ surathasya putraṃ; yaṃ koṭikāśyeti vidur manuṣyāḥ || tasmād ahaṃ śaibya tathaiva tubhyam; ākhyāmi bandhūn prati tan nibodha || apatyam asmi drupadasya rājñaḥ; kṛṣṇeti māṃ śaibya vidur manuṣyāḥ || sāhaṃ vṛṇe pañca janān patitve; ye khāṇḍavaprasthagatāḥ śrutās te || yudhiṣṭhiro bhīmasenārjunau ca; mādryāś ca putrau puruṣapravīrau || te māṃ niveśyeha diśaś catasro; vibhajya pārthā mṛgayāṃ prayātāḥ || prācīṃ rājā dakṣiṇāṃ bhīmaseno; jayaḥ pratīcīṃ yamajāv udīcīm || manye tu teṣāṃ rathasattamānāṃ; kālo 'bhitaḥ prāpta ihopayātum || saṃmānitā yāsyatha tair yatheṣṭaṃ; vimucya vāhān avagāhayadhvam || priyātithir dharmasuto mahātmā; prīto bhaviṣyaty abhivīkṣya yuṣmān || etāvad uktvā drupadātmajā sā; śaibyātmajaṃ candramukhī pratītā || viveśa tāṃ parṇakuṭīṃ praśastāṃ; saṃcintya teṣām atithisvadharmam ||Draupadi, the king's daughter, answering the best of the Shibis, looks at him quietly, releases the branch, and gathers her silken upper covering; she says that in her mind she understands: it is not fitting for a woman like her to speak with him, but there is no man or woman nearby who could answer, and she is alone in the forest, devoted to her own dharma; she knows him as the son of Suratha, Kotikashya, and therefore tells him of her kin: she is the daughter of King Drupada, people call her Krishna, she chose as husbands the five known to him as having lived in Khandavaprastha — Yudhishthira, Bhimasena, Arjuna, and the two sons of Madri; the Parthas left her here and dispersed to hunt: the king to the east, Bhima to the south, Jaya to the west, the twins to the north; she thinks the time of their return has already come; they will honor their guests, so the kings should unyoke their horses and bathe, and Dharmasuta, who loves guests, will be glad to see them; having said this, the moon-faced daughter of Drupada enters the beautiful leaf-hut, thinking of their duty of hospitality.

Translation

Vaishampayana said: "Then Draupadi, the king's daughter, questioned by that best of the Shibis, replied. Glancing gently, releasing the branch, and gathering up her silken upper garment, she said: 'Prince, in my mind I understand: it is not fitting for one such as I to speak with you. But there is no one else here, man or woman, who could answer your words. I am alone now, and so, good sir, I grant you speech; hear this. How could I, alone in the forest, speak with you alone, were I not devoted to my own dharma? I recognize you as the son of Suratha, whom people know as Kotikashya. Therefore, Shaibya, I shall tell you of my kin; listen. I am the daughter of King Drupada. People know me as Krishna, Shaibya. I chose as husbands five men of whom you have heard as dwelling in Khandavaprastha: Yudhishthira, Bhimasena, Arjuna, and the two sons of Madri, foremost among men. The Parthas left me here and went off to hunt, dividing the four directions: the king to the east, Bhimasena to the south, Jaya to the west, and the twins to the north. I think the time has now come for these finest of charioteers to return here from every side. Honored by them, you shall go as you wish. Release your horses and bathe. The great-souled son of Dharma loves guests and will be pleased to see you.' Having said this to Shaibya, the moon-faced daughter of Drupada, self-assured, entered the fine leaf-hut, mindful of the duty of hospitality owed to them."

Commentary

Draupadi answers strictly within the bounds of dharma: not flirtation, not fear, but dignity, the naming of her lineage, the protection of her husbands, and hospitality.

Version

0539ca0d202c · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:28:43 PM UTC

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