द्रौपद्य् उवाच
अहं सैरन्ध्रिवेषेण चरन्ती राजवेश्मनि ॥
शौचदास्मि सुदेष्णाया अक्षधूर्तस्य कारणात् ॥
विक्रियां पश्य मे तीव्रां राजपुत्र्याः परंतप ॥
आसे कालम् उपासीना सर्वं दुःखं किलार्तवत् ॥
अनित्या किल मर्त्यानाम् अर्थसिद्धिर् जयाजयौ ॥
इति कृत्वा प्रतीक्षामि भर्तॄणाम् उदयं पुनः ॥
य एव हेतुर् भवति पुरुषस्य जयावहः ॥
पराजये च हेतुः स इति च प्रतिपालये ॥
दत्त्वा याचन्ति पुरुषा हत्वा वध्यन्ति चापरे ॥
पातयित्वा च पात्यन्ते परैर् इति च मे श्रुतम् ॥
न दैवस्यातिभारो ऽस्ति न दैवस्यातिवर्तनम् ॥
इति चाप्य् आगमं भूयो दैवस्य प्रतिपालये ॥
स्थितं पूर्वं जलं यत्र पुनस् तत्रैव तिष्ठति ॥
इति पर्यायम् इच्छन्ती प्रतीक्षाम्य् उदयं पुनः ॥
दैवेन किल यस्यार्थः सुनीतो ऽपि विपद्यते ॥
दैवस्य चागमे यत्नस् तेन कार्यो विजानता ॥
यत् तु मे वचनस्यास्य कथितस्य प्रयोजनम् ॥
पृच्छ मां दुःखितां तत् त्वम् अपृष्टा वा ब्रवीमि ते ॥
draupady uvāca
ahaṃ sairandhriveṣeṇa carantī rājaveśmani ||
śaucadāsmi sudeṣṇāyā akṣadhūrtasya kāraṇāt ||
vikriyāṃ paśya me tīvrāṃ rājaputryāḥ paraṃtapa ||
āse kālam upāsīnā sarvaṃ duḥkhaṃ kilārtavat ||
anityā kila martyānām arthasiddhir jayājayau ||
iti kṛtvā pratīkṣāmi bhartṝṇām udayaṃ punaḥ ||
ya eva hetur bhavati puruṣasya jayāvahaḥ ||
parājaye ca hetuḥ sa iti ca pratipālaye ||
dattvā yācanti puruṣā hatvā vadhyanti cāpare ||
pātayitvā ca pātyante parair iti ca me śrutam ||
na daivasyātibhāro 'sti na daivasyātivartanam ||
iti cāpy āgamaṃ bhūyo daivasya pratipālaye ||
sthitaṃ pūrvaṃ jalaṃ yatra punas tatraiva tiṣṭhati ||
iti paryāyam icchantī pratīkṣāmy udayaṃ punaḥ ||
daivena kila yasyārthaḥ sunīto 'pi vipadyate ||
daivasya cāgame yatnas tena kāryo vijānatā ||
yat tu me vacanasyāsya kathitasya prayojanam ||
pṛccha māṃ duḥkhitāṃ tat tvam apṛṣṭā vā bravīmi te ||
Draupadī said: 'Going about in the guise of Sairandhrī in the royal household, I have become a servant of Sudeṣṇā because of a gambler. Behold my terrible change, scourge of enemies: I, a king's daughter, sit waiting upon time and endure every sorrow like one afflicted. Among mortals, they say, success in undertakings, victory and defeat, are impermanent. Thinking thus, I wait again for the rise of my husbands. That which becomes the cause of a man's victory becomes also the cause of his defeat; so I wait patiently. Men who have given now beg; others, having killed, are themselves slain; having felled others, they are themselves felled by others — so I have heard. There is no burden too great for fate, and no transcending of fate; hearing this teaching too, I again patiently await fate. Where water once stood, there it stands again: desiring such a turning of the wheel, I wait once more for the rise of my husbands. Even a well-conducted undertaking of a man is ruined by fate; yet one who knows should still make effort when fate is at hand. But as for the purpose of these words of mine that I have spoken, ask me, sorrowing as I am, or I will tell you even unasked.'
e908d47b2627 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:11:28 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Draupadī's composure comes not from passivity but from a sober knowledge of the world's impermanence. She acknowledges fate without making it an excuse for inaction.