संजय उवाच
द्रौपदीहरणे यत् तद् भीमसेनेन निर्जितः ॥
मानात् स तप्तवान् राजा वरार्थी सुमहत् तपः ॥
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यः प्रियेभ्यः संनिवर्त्य सः ॥
क्षुत्पिपासातपसहः कृशो धमनिसंततः ॥
देवम् आराधयच् छर्वं गृणन् ब्रह्म सनातनम् ॥
भक्तानुकम्पी भगवांस् तस्य चक्रे ततो दयाम् ॥
स्वप्नान्ते ऽप्य् अथ चैवाह हरः सिन्धुपतेः सुतम् ॥
वरं वृणीष्व प्रीतो ऽस्मि जयद्रथ किम् इच्छसि ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
draupadīharaṇe yat tad bhīmasenena nirjitaḥ ||
mānāt sa taptavān rājā varārthī sumahat tapaḥ ||
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyaḥ priyebhyaḥ saṃnivartya saḥ ||
kṣutpipāsātapasahaḥ kṛśo dhamanisaṃtataḥ ||
devam ārādhayac charvaṃ gṛṇan brahma sanātanam ||
bhaktānukampī bhagavāṃs tasya cakre tato dayām ||
svapnānte 'py atha caivāha haraḥ sindhupateḥ sutam ||
varaṃ vṛṇīṣva prīto 'smi jayadratha kim icchasi ||
At the abduction of Draupadi, when he was overcome by Bhimasena, out of wounded pride the king, for the sake of a boon, gave himself to the greatest austerity. Having turned his senses away from the beloved objects of the senses, enduring hunger, thirst, and heat, emaciated, his veins standing out all over, [he practiced austerity]; and the Lord [Shiva], compassionate to his devotees, then bestowed mercy upon him; in a vision Hara spoke to the son of the lord of Sindhu.
8b359f624a01 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:03 PM UTC
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The root of Jayadratha's fateful power lies in wounded pride: defeated and humiliated by Bhima, he gave himself to austerity not for the sake of truth but for revenge. Thus even severe self-restraint can be nourished not by good but by self-love. And yet the Lord, "compassionate to his devotees," bestows mercy upon him — for He responds to zeal, even when the motive is impure. It is significant that the rigor of the fast and the restraint of the senses are genuine, though their aim is base. The verse teaches that austerity is holy in form, but colored by the purpose for which it is undertaken; that the Lord is merciful to the devotee's zeal, responding even when the motive behind it is imperfect; and that a boon sought out of revenge, however genuine the feat behind it, carries within it the same flaw as the pride that gave rise to it — and so will turn to good not for him.