Shloka 28
पुनर्द्यूत-समाह्वानम्
Renewed Summons to the Dice-Game and Exile Wager
ततः समुत्थाय सुदुर्मना: सा विवर्णमामृज्य मुखं करेण । आर्ता प्रदुद्राव यतः स्त्रियस्ता वृद्धस्य राज्ञ: कुरुपुड्रवस्थ
tataḥ samutthāya sudurmanāḥ sā vivarṇam āmṛjya mukhaṃ kareṇa | ārtā pradudrāva yataḥ striyās tā vṛddhasya rājñaḥ kurupuṅgavasyāḥ ||
Entonces ella se levantó, con el ánimo abrumado por el dolor. Secándose con la mano el rostro pálido y descolorido, la mujer afligida corrió hacia el lugar donde estaban sentadas las esposas del anciano rey Dhṛtarāṣṭra, el principal entre los Kurus.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical breakdown of the royal court: when dharma fails to protect the vulnerable, the afflicted seek shelter among elders and the inner household. It implicitly condemns a polity where a woman’s distress is met not with justice but with fear-driven flight.
Draupadī, overwhelmed and visibly shaken, wipes her pale face and runs toward the seated wives of the aged King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, seeking refuge and support within the women’s quarters/assembly area.