Shloka 20
Droṇa–Drupada Saṃvāda and Droṇa’s Reception at the Kuru Court (द्रोण-द्रुपद-संवादः; कुरुनगरप्रवेशः)
तस्माद् धर्म पुरस्कृत्य नियता त्वं शुचिस्मिते । उपचाराभिचाराभ्यां धर्ममावाहयस्व वै
tasmād dharma-puraskṛtya niyatā tvaṃ śuci-smite | upacārābhicārābhyāṃ dharmam āvāhayasva vai ||
“Karena itu, wahai yang tersenyum bening, dengan pengendalian diri dan dengan Dharma ditempatkan di depan, panggillah Dharma dengan pemujaan yang semestinya serta tata upacara yang ditetapkan.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma must be the foremost criterion in action: self-restraint and correct, sanctioned means (worship and prescribed rite) ensure that one’s aims—here, obtaining a son—remain aligned with righteousness and do not slip into adharma.
Within the Adi Parva context of seeking righteous progeny, the speaker urges the addressed woman (implied by the epithet ‘śuci-smite’) to invoke the deity Dharma through proper ritual procedure, emphasizing that a son obtained through Dharma will be exceptionally virtuous among the Kurus.