Shloka 24
द्रौपदी-स्वयंवर-प्रारम्भः
Commencement of Draupadī’s Svayaṃvara
ददर्शाथ द्विज: वच्िद् राजानं प्रस्थितं वनम् । अयाचत क्षुधापन्न: समांसं भोजनं तदा,एक दिन किसी ब्राह्मणने (राक्षससे आविष्ट) राजाको वनकी ओर जाते देखा और भूखसे अत्यन्त पीड़ित होनेके कारण उनसे मांससहित भोजन माँगा
dadarśātha dvijaḥ kaścid rājānaṃ prasthitaṃ vanam | ayācata kṣudhāpannaḥ sa-māṃsaṃ bhojanaṃ tadā ||
Da sah ein Brahmane den König in den Wald aufbrechen. Von Hunger gequält, bat er ihn damals um Speise—um eine Mahlzeit, die Fleisch enthielt.
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical pressure-point where immediate human need (hunger) confronts social and personal norms (what kind of food may be given/asked, and what a king ought to provide). It invites reflection on dharma as situational discernment: compassion and duty must be balanced with vows, propriety, and consequences.
A brahmin sees the king heading toward the forest and, being severely hungry, asks him for a meal that includes meat. The request sets up a test of the king’s response—how he will handle a petitioner’s urgent demand while on a forest-bound journey.