Shloka 157
अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope
यदाश्रौषं द्रौपदीमश्रुकण्ठीं सभां नीतां दुःखितामेकवस्त्राम् । रजस्वलां नाथवतीमनाथवत् तदा नाशंसे विजयाय संजय,संजय! जब मैंने सुना कि दु:खिता द्रौपदी रजस्वलावस्थामें आँखोंमें आँसू भरे केवल एक वस्त्र पहने वीर पतियोंके रहते हुए भी अनाथके समान भरी सभामें घसीटकर लायी गयी है, तभी मैंने समझ लिया था कि अब मेरी विजय नहीं हो सकती
yadāśrauṣaṃ draupadīm aśrukaṇṭhīṃ sabhāṃ nītāṃ duḥkhitām ekavastrām | rajasvalāṃ nāthavatīm anāthavat tadā nāśaṃse vijayāya saṃjaya ||
When I heard that Draupadī—her voice choked with tears—had been dragged into the royal assembly in misery, wearing only a single garment, and that she, though protected by husbands, was treated as if she had no protector, then, Saṃjaya, I no longer hoped for victory. For such an outrage against a virtuous woman and the norms of the court is a collapse of dharma, and where dharma is shattered, success cannot endure.
Educational Q&A
A kingdom that violates dharma—especially by publicly dishonoring a vulnerable woman and ignoring rightful protection—destroys its own moral foundation; such adharma becomes the seed of inevitable ruin, so even apparent power cannot secure true victory.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks to Saṃjaya, recalling the report that Draupadī was forcibly brought into the assembly, distressed and in a state of ritual vulnerability, treated as if she had no protectors despite having husbands; hearing this, he foresees that his side cannot ultimately win.