Shloka 35
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ८१: कृष्णस्य दूतप्रयाणम्
Udyoga Parva, Chapter 81: Krishna Sets Out as Envoy
प्माक्षी पुण्डरीकाक्षमुपेत्य गजगामिनी । अश्रुपूर्णेक्षणा कृष्णा कृष्णं वचनमब्रवीत्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | pramākṣī puṇḍarīkākṣam upetya gajagāminī | aśrupūrṇekṣaṇā kṛṣṇā kṛṣṇaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), moving with the graceful gait of an elephant, approached Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Śrī Kṛṣṇa). Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she spoke to Kṛṣṇa in words born of grief and the pressing call of dharma—seeking righteous redress amid the mounting crisis that would lead to war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames moral appeal as a legitimate response to injustice: Draupadī, overwhelmed yet composed, seeks guidance from Kṛṣṇa, implying that dharma is pursued not only through power but through rightful counsel, accountability, and ethical redress.
In the Udyoga Parva’s build-up to the Kurukṣetra war, Draupadī approaches Kṛṣṇa with tear-filled eyes and begins to speak, setting up a plea or argument that will press for justice and action amid failed reconciliation.