Shloka 9
धर्म्या स्त्रियं सभां पूर्वे न नयन्तीति न: श्रुतम् । स नष्ट: कौरवेयेषु पूर्वो धर्म: सनातन:,मैंने सुना है, पहले लोग धर्मपरायणा स्त्रीको कभी सभामें नहीं लाते थे, किंतु इन कौरवोंके समाजमें वह प्राचीन सनातनधर्म नष्ट हो गया है
dharmyāṁ striyaṁ sabhāṁ pūrve na nayantīti naḥ śrutam | sa naṣṭaḥ kauraveyeṣu pūrvo dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Hemos oído que en tiempos antiguos no se llevaba a una mujer justa a la asamblea real. Pero entre los Kaurava se ha destruido ese antiguo y eterno canon del dharma».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns the collapse of established dharma: a righteous woman should not be dragged into a public court for humiliation. It frames the Kauravas’ conduct as a violation of an ancient, enduring ethical norm.
In the context of the dice-hall events, the narrator remarks that tradition forbids bringing a virtuous woman into the assembly; nevertheless, the Kauravas have allowed (and caused) this breach, showing that their society has abandoned the old dharma.