Shloka 18
Adhyāya 45 — Duryodhana’s Distress, Śakuni’s Counsel, and the Summons for Dyūta
मत्पूर्वा रुक्मिणीं कृष्ण संसत्सु परिकीर्तयन् | विशेषत: पार्थिवेषु व्रीडां न कुरुषे कथम्
matpūrvā rukmiṇīṃ kṛṣṇa saṃsatsu parikīrtayan | viśeṣataḥ pārthiveṣu vrīḍāṃ na kuruṣe katham ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô Kṛṣṇa, lorsque, dans cette assemblée comble—et surtout devant les rois rassemblés—tu proclames que Rukmiṇī fut d’abord choisie par moi, comment peux-tu ne ressentir aucune honte ?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of public speech in a royal assembly: proclaiming a claim over a woman (and doing so before kings) is framed as a matter of honor, propriety, and social restraint (vrīḍā).
In the court setting, a speaker challenges Kṛṣṇa for publicly declaring that Rukmiṇī had been previously designated as the speaker’s intended wife, questioning how Kṛṣṇa can say this openly—especially before other kings—without embarrassment.