Shloka 30

Gadā-yuddhe Bhīma–Duryodhanayoḥ Tumulaḥ Saṃprahāraḥ

Mace-duel’s intense exchange

Devanagari script

द्रौपदी च परिक्लिष्टा सभामध्ये रजस्वला

Transliteration

draūpadī ca parikliṣṭā sabhāmadhye rajasvalā

Translation

Sañjaya said: And Draupadī—already distressed—stood in the midst of the royal assembly while in her menstrual period, highlighting the deliberate humiliation inflicted upon her and the grave breach of dharma that occurs when a vulnerable woman is exposed and shamed in public.

Word by Word

• द्रौपदी: Draupadi
• द्रौपदी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौपदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• परिक्लिष्टा: afflicted, distressed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + क्लिश् (धातु) → परिक्लिष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सभामध्ये: in the midst of the assembly
• सभामध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा + मध्ये (मध्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• रजस्वला: menstruating
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस्वला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Draupadī
• sabhā (royal assembly/court)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how dharma is violated when power is used to shame and expose the vulnerable—especially a woman in a protected, sensitive condition—turning a royal court into a site of adharma and moral collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Draupadī as deeply distressed and present in the midst of the assembly while menstruating, emphasizing the severity of her public humiliation and the court’s failure to uphold righteous conduct.