Shloka 24
ततः: सूतस्तस्य वशानुगामी भीतश्च कोपाद् द्रपदात्मजाया: । विहाय मान पुनरेव सभ्या- नुवाच कृष्णां किमहं ब्रवीमि
tataḥ sūtas tasya vaśānugāmī bhītaś ca kopād drapadātmajāyāḥ | vihāya mānaṃ punar eva sabhyān uvāca kṛṣṇāṃ kim ahaṃ bravīmi ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then the sūta, compelled to act under his master’s control and frightened by the wrath of Draupadī, set aside his pride and addressed the assembled courtiers again, saying to Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), “What am I to say?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how coercion and fear can force a person to act against dignity, yet it also exposes the ethical tension of being an instrument of another’s will in an unjust situation—especially in a public assembly where words carry moral weight.
A sūta, acting under his master’s command, becomes afraid of Draupadī’s anger. He drops his pride and turns back to address the court again, speaking to Draupadī and expressing uncertainty: “What am I to say?”