Shloka 55
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
यदा तु वाससां राशि: सभामध्ये समाचित: । ततो दुःशासन: श्रान्तो ब्रीडित: समुपाविशत्,जब सभामें वस्त्रोंका ढेर लग गया, तब दुःशासन थककर लज्जित हो चुपचाप बैठ गया
yadā tu vāsasāṃ rāśiḥ sabhāmadhye samācitaḥ | tato duḥśāsanaḥ śrānto vrīḍitaḥ samupāviśat ||
When a heap of garments had accumulated in the midst of the royal assembly, Duḥśāsana—exhausted and overcome with shame—fell silent and sat down. The scene underscores how public wrongdoing, pursued with obstinacy, ends not in triumph but in visible moral collapse before the very court that witnessed the outrage.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Adharma committed publicly does not remain hidden; it culminates in moral exposure and shame. The verse highlights the ethical principle that coercion and dishonor, even when backed by power, ultimately degrade the perpetrator before society.
In the Kuru assembly, garments have accumulated into a heap at the center of the hall; Duḥśāsana, having strained himself in the attempt, becomes exhausted and ashamed, and he sits down silently—marking a turning point in the spectacle of outrage witnessed by the court.