Shloka 496
Kṛṣṇa at Duryodhana’s House: Refusal of Hospitality and Departure to Vidura (कृष्णस्य धार्तराष्ट्रनिवेशनगमनम्)
न मे दुःखतरं किंचिद् भूतपूर्व ततो5धिकम् । 'युधिष्ठिर
na me duḥkhataraṃ kiñcid bhūtapūrva tato 'dhikam | yudhiṣṭhira-bhīma-arjuna-nakula-sahadevān api me na draupadyāḥ adhikatarāḥ priyāḥ | sā draupadīṃ mayā bhari sabhāyāṃ ānītāṃ dṛṣṭvā, tasmād adhikaṃ mahad duḥkhaṃ me pūrvaṃ kadācana nābhavat ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Tak pernah ada yang lebih menyakitkan bagiku daripada itu—tak pernah ada duka yang lebih besar. Bahkan Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, dan Sahadeva pun tidak lebih kucintai daripada Draupadī. Ketika kulihat Draupadī itu diseret ke tengah sidang penuh, aku merasakan nestapa yang melampaui segala duka yang pernah kualami.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical shock of public humiliation: violating a woman’s dignity in a royal assembly is portrayed as a supreme cause of grief and a sign of adharma. It also highlights steadfast loyalty—Draupadī’s worth and honor are held as precious as, or more than, even the greatest heroes.
Vaiśaṃpāyana recalls the traumatic moment when Draupadī was brought into the crowded court. He states that no earlier sorrow matched the pain of witnessing her public disgrace, emphasizing how deeply that event wounded the moral order and the hearts of those who revered her.