Shloka 17
Draupadī’s Grief at Seeing the Heroes in Disguise (द्रौपदी-विषादः / वेष-परिभव-वर्णनम्)
शतं दासीसहस्राणां यस्य नित्यं महानसे । पात्रीहस्तं दिवारात्रमतिथीन् भोजयन्त्युत
śataṁ dāsīsahasrāṇāṁ yasya nityaṁ mahānase | pātrīhastaṁ divārātram atithīn bhojayanty uta ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: In seiner großen Küche bedienen hunderttausend Dienerinnen unablässig—bei Tag und bei Nacht—die Gäste, jede mit einem Gefäß in der Hand. Der Vers hebt den Überfluss des Königs hervor und, mehr noch, die ununterbrochene Gastverehrung (atithi-satkāra) als sichtbares Zeichen rechtschaffener Hausführung und königlicher Pflicht.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds atithi-dharma—continuous hospitality to guests—as a hallmark of righteous prosperity. Wealth is portrayed as ethically meaningful when it sustains service, feeding, and social responsibility rather than mere display.
Vaiśampāyana describes a royal household where an immense staff in the great kitchen serves guests without interruption, day and night. The description functions as a narrative marker of the ruler’s grandeur and the established custom of honoring and feeding visitors.