Draupadī’s Rebuke of Jayadratha and Dhaumya’s Admonition (Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 252)
पादयो: पतितं वीरं विकृतं भ्रातृसौहदम् । बाहुभ्यां साधुजाताभ्यां दुःशासनमरिंदमम्
pādayoḥ patitaṃ vīraṃ vikṛtaṃ bhrātṛ-sauhṛdam | bāhubhyāṃ sādhujātābhyāṃ duḥśāsanam ariṃdamam ||
भ्रातृ-स्नेह विकृत हो चुका था; वह वीर चरणों में गिर पड़ा और अपने सुजात भुजाओं से शत्रुदमन दुःशासन को पकड़ लिया।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights an ethical inversion: when fraternal goodwill (bhrātṛ-sauhṛda) becomes corrupted, it no longer restrains aggression but fuels degrading acts. It implicitly warns that dharma in relationships depends on inner integrity; without it, even noble strength becomes an instrument of adharma.
The narrator describes a warrior falling at another’s feet and then physically taking hold of Duḥśāsana with his arms. The emphasis on 'corrupted brotherly affection' frames the action as arising from a twisted kinship dynamic rather than righteous protection.