Shloka 28
द्रौपद्याः भीमसेन-प्रबोधनम्
Draupadī Awakens Bhīmasena
कथं ते सूतपुत्रेण वध्यमानां प्रियां सतीम् । मर्षयन्ति यथा क्लीबा बलवन्तोडमितौजस:,“जो अमिततेजस्वी और बलवान हैं, वे (मेरे पति) एक सूतपुत्रद्वारा मारी जाती हुई अपनी सती-साध्वी प्रिय पत्नीका अपमान कायरों और नपुंसकोंकी भाँति कैसे सहन कर रहे हैं?
kathaṁ te sūtaputreṇa vadhyamānāṁ priyāṁ satīm | marṣayanti yathā klībā balavantodamitaujasaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “How can those men—mighty and of unmeasured prowess—endure, like cowards and eunuchs, the humiliation of their beloved, chaste wife while she is being assaulted by a charioteer’s son?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral challenge around kṣatriya-dharma: the strong are expected to protect the honor and safety of the virtuous, especially one’s spouse. Enduring public humiliation and violence without response is condemned here as a failure of duty and courage.
The speaker expresses indignation that powerful men are seemingly allowing their beloved, chaste wife to be attacked and dishonored by a ‘sūtaputra’ (a charioteer’s son), and rebukes such inaction as cowardly.