Shloka 11

Draupadī-vivāha-vidhāna

The Ritual Formalization of Draupadī’s Marriage

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच जिष्णोर्वचनमाज्ञाय भक्तिस्नेहसमन्वितम्‌ । दृष्टि निवेशयामासु: पाज्चाल्यां पाण्डुनन्दना:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--अर्जुनके ये भक्तिभाव तथा स्नेहसे भरे वचन सुननेके बाद समस्त पाण्डवोंने पांचालराजकुमारी द्रौपदीकी ओर देखा

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | jiṣṇor vacanam ājñāya bhakti-sneha-samanvitam | dṛṣṭiṁ niveśayāmāsuḥ pāñcālyāṁ pāṇḍu-nandanāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Als die Söhne Pāṇḍus Arjunas Worte verstanden, erfüllt von Hingabe und Zuneigung, richteten sie ihren Blick auf die Prinzessin der Pāñcālas (Draupadī).

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

जिष्णोःof Jishnu (Arjuna)

वचनम्speech, words

आज्ञायhaving understood/known

भक्ति-स्नेह-समन्वितम्endowed with devotion and affection

दृष्टिम्gaze, look

निवेशयामासुःfixed/placed (their gaze)

पाञ्चाल्याम्upon Pāñcālī (Draupadī)

पाण्डु-नन्दनाःthe sons of Pāṇḍu (the Pāṇḍavas)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna (Jiṣṇu)

Pāṇḍavas (sons of Pāṇḍu)

Draupadī (Pāñcālī)

Pāñcāla

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how words spoken with bhakti (reverent intent) and sneha (affection) guide collective action: the Pāṇḍavas respond not impulsively but by attentive, respectful consideration of Draupadī, implying deliberation within dharma and family responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing and understanding Arjuna’s affectionate and devoted statement, all the Pāṇḍavas direct their attention toward Draupadī (the Pāñcāla princess), marking a narrative beat of shared focus before the next decision or development in the Draupadī-marriage episode.