Shloka 59
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
मम पुत्र: सभां भार्या पाण्डूनां नीतवान् बलात् | तत्रापि च सभामध्ये पाण्डवानां च पश्यताम्
mama putraḥ sabhāṃ bhāryā pāṇḍūnāṃ nītavān balāt | tatrāpi ca sabhāmadhye pāṇḍavānāṃ ca paśyatām
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Putraku menyeret istri para Pāṇḍava ke balairung dengan paksa; bahkan di tengah sidang itu juga, ketika para Pāṇḍava sendiri menyaksikannya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a decisive breach of dharma: coercion and public humiliation of a woman in a royal assembly, especially in the presence of her husbands, is portrayed as a grave moral transgression. It illustrates how unchecked power and disregard for dignity generate lasting enmity and become a direct cause of societal collapse and war.
The speaker recalls an infamous court outrage: ‘my son’ forcibly brought the Pāṇḍavas’ wife into the assembly hall, and this occurred openly while the Pāṇḍavas watched. The statement functions as a reminder of the earlier sabhā-atrocity that fuels the later violence and retribution in the war narrative.