Shloka 40
देवसत्रे मृत्युनिरोधः, पूर्वेन्द्राणां मानुषावतरणम्, द्रौपदी-वरकथनम्
Suspension of Death at the Devasatra; Former Indras’ Human Descent; Draupadī’s Boon Etiology
वृत्तो ब्रह्मोत्तरो रड्र: पाज्चाली ब्राह्मुणैर्वता । इति ब्रुवन्त: प्रययुर्ये तत्रासन् समागता:
vṛtto brahmottaro raṅgaḥ pāñcālī brāhmaṇair vṛtā | iti bruvantaḥ prayayur ye tatrāsan samāgatāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Die Zuschauer, die sich dort versammelt hatten, gingen in ihre Häuser zurück und sagten: „Durch dieses Fest in der Arena ist die Vorrangstellung der Brāhmaṇas erwiesen; und die Prinzessin von Pāñcāla, Draupadī, ist von den Brāhmaṇas gewonnen worden.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how society interprets success through the lens of dharma and varṇa: the crowd proclaims Brāhmaṇa pre-eminence and credits the outcome (Draupadī being won) to the Brāhmaṇa identity, showing the ethical weight given to perceived status, conduct, and ritual-social ideals.
After the arena event connected with Draupadī’s selection, the assembled spectators disperse, commenting that the festival proved the superiority of the Brāhmaṇas and that the Pāñcāla princess Draupadī was obtained by them.