Shloka 11
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 23: Report of the Slain Sūtaputras, Royal Orders, and Sairandhrī’s Return
हियमाणा तु सा राजन् सूतपुत्रैरनिन्दिता । प्राक्रोशन्नाथमिच्छन्ती कृष्णा नाथवती सती
hriyamāṇā tu sā rājan sūtaputrair aninditā | prākrośann ātham icchantī kṛṣṇā nāthavatī satī ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: O König, als die untadelige Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) von den Söhnen des Sūta fortgeschleift wurde, schrie sie laut auf, nach einem Beschützer verlangend. Obwohl sie rechtmäßige Hüter hatte, ließ man sie sich fühlen, als wäre sie ohne Zuflucht.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how adharma manifests when the powerful violate the dignity of the blameless. Even one who should be protected can be made to feel helpless; dharma demands active guardianship and resistance to injustice, not passive complicity.
Draupadī (called Kṛṣṇā), though a virtuous woman with rightful protectors, is being forcibly dragged by Kīcaka’s men (called sūtaputras). She cries out loudly, seeking a protector, underscoring her public humiliation and the moral crisis in the courtly environment.