Shloka 27
Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 187: Drupada’s Inquiry and the Dharma Debate on Draupadī’s Marriage
विद्धं तु लक्ष्यं प्रसमीक्ष्य कृष्णा पार्थ च शक्रप्रतिमं निरीक्ष्य । आदाय शुक््लं वरमाल्यदाम जगाम कुन्तीसुतमुत्स्मयन्ती,(स्वभ्यस्तरूपापि नवेव नित्यं विनापि हासं हसतीव कन्या । मदादृते5पि स्खलतीव भावै- वाचा विना व्याहरतीव दृष्ट्या ।। समेत्य तस्योपरि सोत्ससर्ज समागतानां पुरतो नृपाणाम् | विन्यस्य मालां विनयेन तस्थौ विहाय राज्ञ: सहसा नृपात्मजा ।। शचीव देवेन्द्रमथाग्निदेवं स्वाहेव लक्ष्मीश्व यथा मुकुन्दम् । उषेव सूर्य मदन रतिश्व महेश्वरं पर्वतराजपुत्री । राम॑ यथा मैथिलराजपुत्री भैमी यथा राजवरं नलं हि ।।) लक्ष्यको बिधंकर धरतीपर गिरा देख इन्द्रके तुल्य पराक्रमी अर्जुनपर दृष्टि डालकर हाथमें सुन्दर श्वेत फ़ूलोंकी जयमाला लिये द्रौपदी मन्द-मन्द मुसकराती हुई कुन्तीकुमारके समीप गयी। उसका रूप जिन्होंने बार-बार देखा था, उनके लिये भी वह नित्य नयी-सी जान पड़ती थी। वह द्रुपदकुमारी बिना हँसीके भी हँसती-सी प्रतीत होती थी। मदसेवनके बिना भी (आन्तरिक अनुराग-सूचक) भावोंके द्वारा लड़खड़ाती-सी चलती थी और बिना बोले भी केवल दृष्टिसे ही बातचीत करती-सी जान पड़ती थी। निकट जाकर राजकुमारी द्रौपदीने वहाँ जुटे हुए समस्त राजाओंके समक्ष उन सबकी उपेक्षा करके सहसा वह माला अर्जुनके गलेमें डाल दी और विनयपूर्वक खड़ी हो गयी। जैसे शचीने देवराज इन्द्रका, स्वाहाने अग्निदेवका, लक्ष्मीने भगवान् विष्णुका, उषाने सूर्यदेवका, रतिने कामदेवका, गिरिराजकुमारी उमाने महेश्वरका, विदेहराजनन्दिनी सीताने श्रीरामका तथा भीमकुमारी दमयन्तीने नृपश्रेष्ठ नलका वरण किया था, उसी प्रकार द्रौपदीने पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनका वरण कर लिया
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
viddhaṃ tu lakṣyaṃ prasmīkṣya kṛṣṇā pārtha ca śakrapratimaṃ nirīkṣya |
ādāya śuklaṃ varamālyadāma jagāma kuntīsutam utsmayantī ||
(svabhyastarūpāpi naveva nityaṃ vināpi hāsaṃ hasatīva kanyā |
madādṛte 'pi skhalatīva bhāvair vācā vinā vyāharatīva dṛṣṭyā ||
sametya tasyopari sotsasarja samāgatānāṃ purato nṛpāṇām |
vinyasya mālāṃ vinayena tasthau vihāya rājñaḥ sahasā nṛpātmajā ||
śacīva devendram athāgnidevaṃ svāheva lakṣmīś ca yathā mukundam |
ūṣeva sūryaṃ madanaṃ ratiś ca maheśvaraṃ parvatarājaputrī |
rāmaṃ yathā maithilarājaputrī bhaimī yathā rājavaraṃ nalaṃ hi ||)
Vaiśampāyana said: When the target had been struck, Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), looking again at the pierced mark and then gazing upon Pārtha (Arjuna), whose prowess was like Indra’s, took up a splendid white garland and, smiling softly, went to the son of Kuntī. Though many had seen her beauty before, she appeared ever new; even without laughter she seemed to smile. Without any intoxicant she moved as if unsteady—made so by inner feeling—and without speaking she seemed to converse by her eyes alone. Approaching him, in the presence of the assembled kings, the princess suddenly disregarded them all and placed the garland upon him; then she stood modestly, with due decorum. Just as Śacī chose Indra, Svāhā chose Agni, Lakṣmī chose Mukunda (Viṣṇu), Ūṣā chose the Sun, Rati chose Madana (Kāma), Pārvatī chose Maheśvara, the daughter of the king of Mithilā (Sītā) chose Rāma, and Bhīmī (Damayantī) chose the best of kings, Nala—so Draupadī chose Arjuna. Ethically, the passage highlights the public, rule-governed nature of svayaṃvara choice: merit proven by feat is acknowledged, yet the bride’s agency is decisive, expressed with restraint and dignity amid political rivalry.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores a dharmic ideal of public, rule-bound selection in marriage: prowess and qualification are demonstrated (the target is struck), yet the decisive act is the bride’s conscious choice, expressed with vinaya (modesty) and clarity even amid competing royal claims.
After the target is successfully hit, Draupadī approaches Arjuna with a white victory/choice garland and, before all the gathered kings, places it on him, thereby choosing him as her husband; the text then reinforces her choice through a series of famous divine and heroic parallels.