Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 9
द्रौपदी-भीमसेनसंवादः
Draupadī–Bhīmasena Dialogue on Suffering, Kāla, and Daiva
योद्धयमानं महावीर्यमियं समनुशोचति । कल्याणरूपा सैरन्ध्री बललवश्वापि सुन्दर:
yoḍḍhayamānaṃ mahāvīryam iyaṃ samanūśocati | kalyāṇarūpā sairandhrī ballavo ’śvā api sundaraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Seeing the mighty, heroic cook engaged in combat, the fair and auspicious Sairandhrī grieved for him again and again—moved either by the affection born of their earlier life together (in Yudhiṣṭhira’s household) or by the prompting of dharma. Sairandhrī was of blessed beauty; Ballava too was handsome, and so were the horses.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic compassion: even amid necessary violence, a righteous person’s heart responds with concern for another’s welfare. Affection born of shared life and duty grounded in dharma both become legitimate motives for empathetic grief.
During the Pāṇḍavas’ incognito stay, Ballava (Bhīma disguised as a cook) is seen fighting. Sairandhrī (Draupadī disguised as a maid) watches and repeatedly laments for him, prompted by prior closeness in Yudhiṣṭhira’s household and/or by dharma.