Shloka 43

Devanagari script

नकुल उवाच सुतेयं यज्ञसेनस्य द्यूते5स्मिन्‌ धृतराष्ट्रजै: । यैर्वाच: श्राविता रूक्षा: स्थितैर्दुर्योधनप्रिये

Transliteration

nakula uvāca suta iyaṁ yajñasenasya dyūte 'smin dhṛtarāṣṭrajaiḥ | yair vācaḥ śrāvitā rūkṣāḥ sthitair duryodhanapriye ||

Translation

Nakula said: “This maiden, the daughter of Yajñasena, has been won here in this game of dice by the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Standing in Duryodhana’s interest, they have made her hear harsh and cruel words.”

Word by Word

नकुलःNakula

उवाचsaid

सुताdaughter

इयम्this (she)

यज्ञसेनस्यof Yajñasena (Drupada)

द्यूतेin the gambling (match)

अस्मिन्in this

धृतराष्ट्रजैःby the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra

यैःby whom

वाचःwords

श्राविताःwere made to be heard / were uttered

रूक्षाःharsh

स्थितैःby those standing (there)

दुर्योधनप्रियेin/among (those) devoted to Duryodhana

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nakula

Yajñasena (Drupada)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (Kauravas)

Duryodhana

the daughter of Yajñasena (Draupadī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights adharma in public life: when those aligned with a powerful leader (Duryodhana) use authority to legitimize cruelty, the victim’s dignity is violated and justice is distorted. It implicitly condemns harsh speech and partisan conduct in matters requiring fairness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the dice-hall episode, Nakula points out that Draupadī, daughter of King Drupada (Yajñasena), has been claimed through the gambling match by Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons, and that, while acting in Duryodhana’s interest, they have subjected her to harsh, abusive words.