Shloka 27
पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानवर्णनम् / The Pāṇḍavas’ Departure for the Forest
Vidura’s Report and Portents
धृतराष्ट उवाच वरं वृणीष्व पाज्चालि मत्तो यदभिवाञ्छसि । वधूनां हि विशिष्टा मे त्वं धर्मपरमा सती,धृतराष्ट्रने कहा--बहू द्रौपदी! तुम मेरी पुत्रवधुओंमें सबसे श्रेष्ठ एवं धर्मपरायणा सती हो। तुम्हारी जो इच्छा हो, उसके अनुसार मुझसे वर माँग लो
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca varaṁ vṛṇīṣva pāñcāli matto yad abhivāñchasi | vadhūnāṁ hi viśiṣṭā me tvaṁ dharmaparāmā satī ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Pilihlah anugerah, wahai Pāñcālī—apa pun yang sungguh kau kehendaki dariku. Di antara para menantuku engkaulah yang utama, seorang istri suci yang teguh berpegang pada dharma.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma as a moral standard: a ruler acknowledges virtue and seeks to make amends through a lawful, public grant (vara). It also highlights the ethical weight of honoring a wronged yet dharma-centered person by offering restitution and agency.
In the aftermath of Draupadī’s humiliation in the Kuru assembly, Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses her respectfully as Pāñcālī and offers her a boon, recognizing her as the foremost among his daughters-in-law and devoted to dharma—setting up her request(s) that will affect the fate of the Pāṇḍavas.