Shloka 16
Role-Allocation in Virāṭa’s Court: Nakula, Sahadeva, and Draupadī’s Concealment
सुकुमारी च बाला च राजपुत्री यशस्विनी । पतिव्रता महाभागा कथं नु विचरिष्यति,इसका शरीर अत्यन्त सुकुमार है। इसकी अवस्था नयी है। यह यशस्विनी राजकुमारी परम सौभाग्यवती तथा पतिव्रता है। भला, यह विराटनगरमें किस प्रकार रहेगी?
sukumārī ca bālā ca rājaputrī yaśasvinī | pativratā mahābhāgā kathaṃ nu vicarīṣyati ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Sie ist zart und noch sehr jung — eine ruhmreiche Prinzessin. Ihrem Gatten ergeben und von großem Glück begünstigt: Wie soll sie da in Virāṭas Stadt leben und sich bewegen können?“
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic concern for safeguarding those who are vulnerable: youth, delicacy, and social position can increase risk, so responsible leaders must anticipate dangers and arrange protection without compromising moral integrity.
As the Pāṇḍavas plan their incognito stay during the final year of exile, Yudhiṣṭhira worries about how their famed princess-wife—young, delicate, and devoted—can safely reside in Virāṭa’s city without attracting attention or harm.