Shloka 17
Droṇa’s Resolve to Restrain Yudhiṣṭhira and Arjuna’s Protective Vow (द्रोणस्य युधिष्ठिरनिग्रह-प्रयत्नः)
सत्यप्रतिज्ञे त्वानीते पुनर्ययूतेन निर्जिते । पुनर्यास्यन्त्यरण्याय पाण्डवास्तमनुव्रता:,'सत्यप्रतिज्ञ राजा युधिष्ठिरको जीते-जी पकड़ ले आनेपर यदि उन्हें पुनः जूएमें जीत लिया जाय तो उनमें भक्ति रखनेवाले पाण्डव पुनः वनमें चले जायँगे
satyapratijñe tvānīte punar yūte na nirjite | punar yāsyanty araṇyāya pāṇḍavās tam anuvratāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Jika Raja Yudhiṣṭhira—yang setia pada sumpahnya—telah dibawa kembali, dan ia kembali dikalahkan dalam permainan dadu, maka para Pāṇḍava yang berbakti kepadanya akan sekali lagi berangkat menuju hutan.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of a vow: Yudhiṣṭhira’s identity as satyapratijña (true to his pledge) binds not only him but also his followers. Loyalty (anuvrata) is shown as adherence to a chosen dharmic commitment even when it leads to hardship such as renewed exile.
Sañjaya describes a conditional outcome: if Yudhiṣṭhira is brought back and then again loses in a dice match, the Pāṇḍavas—committed to him and to the terms of the pledge—will return to the forest, repeating the pattern of exile caused by gambling defeat.