Shloka 126
Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)
पुरुषो5यं मम सुतः श्रद्धत्तां मे भवानिति । पत्नीसहित राजाको भगवान् महेश्वरके दिये हुए वरका स्मरण हो आया। तदनन्तर राजा ट्रुपदने दशार्णराजके पास दूत भेजा और यह कहलाया कि मेरा पुत्र पुरुष है। आप मेरी इस बातपर विश्वास करें
puruṣo ’yaṃ mama sutaḥ śraddhattāṃ me bhavān iti | patnīsahito rājāko bhagavān maheśvarake diye hue varakā smaraṇa ho āyā | tadanantaraṃ rājā drupadane daśārṇarājake pāsa dūta bhejā aura yaha kahalāyā ki mera putra puruṣa hai | āpa merī isa bātapara viśvāsa kareṃ |
“This is my son, a male—please place your trust in my word.” At that moment, the king, together with his queen, recalled the boon granted by the blessed Lord Maheshvara. Thereafter King Drupada sent an envoy to the king of Daśārṇa, having it proclaimed: “My child is a son, a man. You should believe this statement of mine.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical weight of public speech: a king’s declaration is expected to be trustworthy, yet it can also be shaped by social pressure and political necessity. It also shows how remembrance of a divine boon influences human decisions, blending personal fate with public duty.
Bhishma reports a claim—“this is my son, a male; believe me.” The king and queen recall a boon from Maheshvara, and Drupada then sends a messenger to the king of Daśārṇa to announce that his child is a son and to demand acceptance of this assertion.