Shloka 38
Adhyāya 3: Indra’s Invitation and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Refusal to Abandon the Dog
Svargārohaṇa Test
यत्र सा बृहती श्यामा बुद्धिसत्त्वगुणान्विता । द्रौपदी योषितां श्रेष्ठा यत्र चैव गता मम
yatra sā bṛhatī śyāmā buddhisattvaguṇānvitā | draupadī yoṣitāṃ śreṣṭhā yatra caiva gatā mama ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Aku pun ingin pergi ke tempat yang sama, tempat Draupadīku telah pergi—bertubuh tinggi, berkulit gelap, berakal budi, berhias kebajikan sāttvika, yang utama di antara para wanita.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores steadfast attachment to dharmic companionship even at life’s end: the speaker’s resolve is not for worldly gain but to follow those who have already departed, highlighting renunciation, acceptance of mortality, and the honoring of virtue (sattva, buddhi) embodied by Draupadī.
In the Mahāprasthānika context of the great departure, the narration points to Draupadī having already fallen/left on the journey; the speaker expresses the wish to proceed to the same destination where she has gone, describing her qualities and eminence among women.