Shloka 13
Bhīma–Draupadī Saṃvāda on Restraint, Protection, and the Kīcaka Threat
Virāṭa-parva, Adhyāya 20
भ्रातृभि: श्वशुरैः पुत्रैबहुभि: परिवारिता । एवं समुदिता नारी का त्वन्या दु:खिता भवेत्,जिसके बहुत-से भाई, श्वशुर और पुत्र हों, जो इन सबसे घिरी हुई हो तथा भलीभाँति अभ्युदयशील हो, ऐसी परिस्थितिमें मेरे सिवा दूसरी कौन स्त्री दुःख भोगनेके लिये विवश हुई होगी?
bhrātṛbhiḥ śvaśuraiḥ putraiḥ bahubhiḥ parivāritā | evaṃ samuditā nārī kā tv anyā duḥkhitā bhavet ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Surrounded by many brothers, fathers-in-law, and sons—thus well-supported and prospering—what other woman could there be who would still be forced to suffer sorrow, apart from me?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
External protections—family, status, and apparent prosperity—do not guarantee freedom from suffering; inner distress can persist despite strong social support, highlighting the complexity of dharma and human fate.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a woman laments that although she is surrounded by many close male relatives (brothers, in-laws, sons) and appears well-situated, she still endures sorrow, implying an exceptional and painful predicament.