Shloka 9
Draupadī’s Exhortation on Rājadharma and Daṇḍa (द्रौपद्याः राजधर्मोपदेशः)
वयं दुर्योधन हत्वा मृथे भोक्ष्याम मेदिनीम् । सम्पूर्णा सर्वकामानामाहवे विजयैषिण:
vaiśampāyana uvāca | vayaṃ duryodhanaṃ hatvā mṛdhe bhokṣyāma medinīm | sampūrṇāḥ sarvakāmānām āhave vijayaiṣiṇaḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: “We, intent on victory in battle, shall slay Duryodhana in the fight and then enjoy the earth—fully furnished with every desired good. (Thus, in earlier days, you yourself heartened your brothers in the Dvaitavana forest, promising that their hardship would turn to happiness through triumph, righteous enjoyment, and worship sustained by generous gifts and sacrifices; why, then, do you now break their hearts by speaking otherwise?)”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A leader’s words create moral and emotional obligations: promises of courage and righteous purpose should not be withdrawn lightly, especially when others have endured hardship relying on that assurance. The verse underscores steadfast resolve (dhṛti) and responsible speech in the context of dharma and kingship.
The speaker recalls an earlier moment when the king encouraged his brothers during forest hardship, declaring that they would defeat Duryodhana and then enjoy the kingdom. Now, as the mood shifts, that earlier vow is cited to question why he is discouraging them and “breaking their hearts.”