Shloka 63
रामस्य पम्पातीरगमनम्, सुग्रीवसख्यं, वालिवधः, सीतारक्षणवृत्तान्तश्च
Rāma at Pampā; alliance with Sugrīva; Vālin’s fall; Sītā’s guarded captivity
चिन्तामवाप परमामन्नहेतो: पतिव्रता । राजन! इसी समय युवतियोंमें श्रेष्ठ पतिव्रता द्रौपदीको अन्नके लिये बड़ी चिन्ता हुई
cintām avāpa paramām anna-hetoḥ pativratā | rājan, asmin samaye yuvatīṣu śreṣṭhā pativratā draupadī anna-kṛte mahātīṁ cintām avāpa |
Vaiśampāyana said: O King, at that moment Draupadī—foremost among young women and steadfast in wifely fidelity—was seized by intense anxiety, for the sake of obtaining food.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that dharma is not only heroic action but also steadfastness under ordinary pressures—here, the moral weight of providing sustenance. Draupadī’s anxiety for food reflects responsible care for dependents and the ethical strain of scarcity during exile.
Vaiśampāyana narrates to the king that, at that moment in the forest-exile context, Draupadī became deeply worried about procuring food. Her concern sets the stage for subsequent events involving hospitality, survival, and the testing of the Pāṇḍavas’ household obligations.