Shloka 8
Adhyaya 11 — Draupadī’s Grief, Demand for Justice, and Bhīma’s Departure
प्रफुल्ल कमलके समान विशाल एवं मनोहर नेत्रोंवाली द्रौपदीका मुख सहसा शोकसे पीड़ित हो राहुके द्वारा ग्रस्त हुए सूर्यके समान तेजोहीन हो गया ।। ततस्तां पतितां दृष्टवा संरम्भी सत्यविक्रम: । बाहुभ्यां परिजग्राह समुत्पत्य वृकोदर:
prahulla-kamalake samānā viśālā evaṃ manoharā-netrāvalī draupadyā mukhaṃ sahasā śokena pīḍitaṃ bhūtvā rāhuṇā grasta-sūryavat tejo-hīnaṃ babhūva || tatas tāṃ patitāṃ dṛṣṭvā saṃrambhī satya-vikramaḥ | bāhubhyāṃ parijagrāha samutpatya vṛkodaraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Draupadī—whose eyes were large and lovely like fully blossomed lotuses—was suddenly seized by grief, and her face lost its radiance, like the sun eclipsed by Rāhu. Then, seeing her fallen, Vṛkodara (Bhīma), impetuous yet true in valor, sprang up and clasped her in his arms.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the wake of adharma-driven violence, dharma reappears as immediate human responsibility: to protect the vulnerable, to respond to grief with support rather than rage alone, and to uphold family duty when order has collapsed.
Draupadī is struck by sudden sorrow and collapses, her face losing its brightness like the sun during an eclipse. Seeing her fall, Bhīma (Vṛkodara) leaps up and embraces her, acting as a protector in the traumatic aftermath of the night’s killings.