Shloka 2
Bhīma–Draupadī Saṃvāda on Restraint, Protection, and the Kīcaka Threat
Virāṭa-parva, Adhyāya 20
विक्रियां पश्य मे तीव्रां राजपुत्रया: परंतप । आत्मकालमुदीक्षन्ती सर्व दुःखं किलान्तवत्,राजपुत्री होकर भी मुझे कैसा भारी हीन कार्य करना पड़ता है, यह अपनी आँखों देख लो; परंतु सब लोग अपने अभ्युदयका अवसर देखते रहते हैं; क्योंकि यदि दुःख आता है तो उसका अन्त भी होता ही है
vaśampāyana uvāca |
vikriyāṃ paśya me tīvrāṃ rājaputryāḥ parantapa |
ātmakālam udīkṣantī sarva-duḥkhaṃ kilāntavat ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O scorcher of foes, behold the harsh reversal that has come upon me, though I am a princess. Yet one must keep watch for the right moment for one’s own welfare; for when sorrow arrives, it too surely has an end.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even those of high status may face severe reversals; one should endure hardship while patiently watching for the proper time to act, remembering that suffering is not permanent and will come to an end.
In the Virāṭa episode, the speaker reflects on the painful, humiliating change of circumstances endured despite being of royal birth, and frames it as a strategic patience—waiting for the right opportunity, since misfortune is temporary.