Shloka 11
द्रौपद्याः शोकवचनम्
Draupadī’s Lament and Indictment of Misfortune
सर्वश्वेतेव माहेयी वने जाता त्रिहायणी । उपातिष्ठत पाज्चाली वासितेव नरर्षभम्
sarvaśvetā iva māheyī vane jātā trihāyaṇī | upātiṣṭhata pāñcālī vāsitā iva nararṣabham, kurunandana |
Vaiśampāyana said: O delight of the Kurus, Pāñcālī (Draupadī) approached the bull among men, Bhīmasena, like a wholly white, three-year-old forest-born cow, as if she had been perfumed and adorned. Thus, in the royal kitchen, the great-souled Bhīma’s presence shone with renewed splendor, and Draupadī—pure and smiling—came near him with modest, respectful bearing, likened to gentle, auspicious creatures approaching their lord. The passage underscores the ethic of restraint and propriety maintained by the Pāṇḍavas in disguise, even amid hardship.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in adversity and concealment, one should uphold decorum, self-control, and respectful conduct; the Pāṇḍavas’ dharma is shown through restrained behavior and dignified roles rather than open assertion of power.
During the incognito year in Virāṭa’s realm, Draupadī (as Pāñcālī) comes to Bhīma (serving in the royal kitchen). The verse uses auspicious similes (a white, three-year-old heifer, perfumed/adorned) to describe her approach to the heroic ‘bull among men.’