Shloka 24
Bhīma–Draupadī Saṃvāda on Restraint, Protection, and the Kīcaka Threat
Virāṭa-parva, Adhyāya 20
इत्यस्य दर्शयामास किणवन्तौ करावुभौ,ऐसा कहकर द्रौपदीने भीमसेनको अपने दोनों हाथ दिखाये, जिनमें चन्दन रगड़नेसे काले दाग पड़ गये थे
iti asya darśayāmāsa kiṇavantau karāv ubhau
Vaiśampāyana sagte: Nachdem sie so gesprochen hatte, zeigte sie ihm beide Hände—rau und befleckt, gezeichnet von den dunklen Spuren des Sandelholzreibens.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how visible signs of forced labor and indignity can serve as moral testimony, calling for righteous protection and just response rather than indifference to another’s suffering.
After speaking, Draupadī shows Bhīmasena her two hands, rough and darkened from grinding sandalwood, to demonstrate the hardship and humiliation she has been made to bear while in disguise.