Shloka 21
द्रौपदी-शैब्यसंवादः — Draupadī’s Identification and Counsel on Hospitality
शत्रुओंने मेरी हँसी उड़ायी है। मुझे अपने पौरुषका अभिमान था; किंतु यहाँ मैं कोई पुरुषार्थ न दिखा सका। पराक्रमी पाण्डवोंने अवहेलनापूर्ण दृष्टिसे मुझे देखा है। (ऐसी दशामें मुझे इस जीवनसे विरक्ति हो गयी है)
śatrubhiḥ me hāsyaṃ kṛtam; mama pauruṣe ’bhimāna āsīt, kintu iha ahaṃ kiñcid api puruṣārthaṃ na darśitavān. parākramibhiḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ avajñayā dṛṣṭyā ahaṃ dṛṣṭaḥ. (evaṃvidhāyāṃ daśāyāṃ mama asmin jīvite viraktir utpannā)
His enemies have mocked him. Though he once prided himself on manly prowess, here he has failed to display any effective effort or valor. The mighty Pāṇḍavas have looked upon him with contempt. In such a condition, he has grown disgusted with life itself—his wounded honor turning into despair and a dangerous resolve.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how pride tied to status and prowess can collapse into despair when confronted with failure and public humiliation. Ethically, it warns that wounded ego—rather than reflective self-correction—can drive destructive choices, especially within a warrior code that equates worth with visible valor.
Duryodhana speaks after experiencing a humiliating setback: enemies ridicule him, and the Pāṇḍavas’ contemptuous look intensifies his sense of disgrace. He confesses that he could not demonstrate any meaningful prowess, and this shame turns into a stated disgust for life.