Shloka 34

द्रौपद्याः भीमसेन-प्रबोधनम्

Draupadī Awakens Bhīmasena

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवंविधैर्वचोभि: सा तदा कृष्णाश्रुलोचना । उपालभत राजानं मत्स्यानां वरवर्णिनी,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन! उत्तम वर्णवाली द्रौपदीने उस समय आँखोंमें आँसू भरकर ऐसे वचनोंद्वारा मत्स्ययाजको बहुत फटकारा और उलाहना दिया

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca: evaṁvidhair vacobhiḥ sā tadā kṛṣṇāśrulocanā | upālabhata rājānaṁ matsyānāṁ varavarṇinī ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Da tadelte und verwies Draupadī—von edler Schönheit—mit tränengefüllten Augen den König der Matsyas mit Worten dieser Art.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

एवंविधैःwith such (kind of)

वचोभिःwords

साshe

तदाthen

कृष्ण-अश्रु-लोचनाshe whose eyes were dark/filled with tears

उपालभतreproached, scolded

राजानम्the king

मत्स्यानाम्of the Matsyas

वर-वर्णिनीof excellent complexion/beauty

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Draupadī (Kṛṣṇā)

King of the Matsyas (Virāṭa)

Matsya kingdom

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?

Even when wronged and overwhelmed by sorrow, one may appeal to dharma by holding rulers accountable: a king’s legitimacy is tied to protecting the vulnerable and responding to injustice with decisive, ethical action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Draupadī, weeping, addresses the Matsya king (Virāṭa) with sharp reproach—introducing her complaint and moral indictment that will drive the episode’s demand for redress.