Shloka 13
द्रौपदी-शैब्यसंवादः — Draupadī’s Identification and Counsel on Hospitality
मेरे सब भाई आज अपनी राजधानीको चले जायाँँ। कर्ण आदि मेरे मित्र तथा बान्धवगण भी दुःशासनको आगे करके आज ही हस्तिनापुरको लौट जायाँ ।।
duryodhana uvāca | mama sarve bhrātaraḥ adya svāṁ rājadhānīṁ gantum arhanti | karṇādayo mama mitrāḥ tathā bāndhavāś ca duḥśāsanam agre kṛtvā adyaiva hastināpuraṁ nivartantām || na hi ahaṁ samprayāsyāmi puraṁ śatru-nirākṛtaḥ | śatru-mānāpaho bhūtvā suhṛdāṁ māna-kṛt tathā ||
Dijo Duryodhana: «Que todos mis hermanos vayan hoy a nuestra capital. Que mis amigos y parientes —Karṇa y los demás— regresen también hoy mismo a Hastināpura, poniendo a Duḥśāsana al frente. Pero yo no volveré a la ciudad como quien ha sido rechazado por los enemigos. He abatido el orgullo de mis adversarios y he honrado como es debido a mis bienhechores; por ello, no regresaré ahora en deshonra.»
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how obsession with honor and fear of humiliation can drive political and ethical choices. Duryodhana frames his decision not as prudence but as a matter of reputation—showing the Mahabharata’s recurring critique of pride (māna) when it overrides discernment and dharma.
Duryodhana orders his brothers and allies—especially Karna and others—to return to Hastinapura with Duhshasana leading, while he himself declares he will not go back as someone turned away by enemies. He insists he has already humbled his foes and honored his friends, and therefore refuses to accept a return that would look like defeat.