Shloka 17
Droṇa–Drupada Saṃvāda and Droṇa’s Reception at the Kuru Court (द्रोण-द्रुपद-संवादः; कुरुनगरप्रवेशः)
पाण्डुरुवाच (धन्यो>स्म्यनुगृहीतो$स्मि त्वं नो धात्री कुलस्य हि । नमो महर्षये तस्मै येन दत्तो वरस्तव ।।
pāṇḍur uvāca: dhanyo ’smy anugṛhīto ’smi tvaṃ no dhātrī kulasya hi | namo maharṣaye tasmai yena datto varas tava || na cādharmena dharmajñe śakyāḥ pālayituṃ prajāḥ || adyaiva tvaṃ varārohe prayatasva yathāvidhi | dharmam āvāhaya śubhe sa hi lokeṣu puṇyabhāk ||
Pāṇḍu berkata: “Wahai kekasih, aku berbahagia; engkau telah menunjukkan anugerah besar kepadaku. Sungguh, engkaulah penopang garis keturunan kita. Salam hormat kepada resi agung yang telah menganugerahkan kepadamu karunia demikian. Wahai yang memahami dharma, rakyat tak dapat dilindungi melalui adharma. Karena itu, wahai wanita berpinggul elok, berusahalah hari ini juga menurut tata upacara. Wahai yang membawa berkah, panggillah terlebih dahulu Dharma, sebab dialah yang saleh dan pemilik jasa kebajikan di antara dunia-dunia.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pāṇḍu asserts that governance and the protection of people cannot be grounded in adharma; even urgent dynastic needs must be pursued through a dharmic, properly sanctioned method—hence the insistence on invoking Dharma first and acting yathāvidhi (according to rite).
Pāṇḍu addresses his wife (Kuntī in context), praising her and the sage who granted her a boon/mantra, then urges her to act immediately and ritually to secure offspring for the continuation of the Kuru line—beginning by invoking the deity Dharma.