Shloka 34
स्वर्गारोहणपर्व — तृतीयोऽध्यायः
Indra and Dharma’s Consolation; Celestial Gaṅgā Purification
सोदर्येषु विनष्टेषु द्रौपद्या तत्र भारत । श्वरूपधारिणा तत्र पुनस्त्व॑ मे परीक्षित:,“भारत! फिर द्रौपदीसहित तुम्हारे सभी भाइयोंकी मृत्यु हो जानेपर कुत्तेका रूप धारण करके मैंने दूसरी बार तुम्हारी परीक्षा ली थी। उसमें भी तुम सफल हुए
sodaryeṣu vinaṣṭeṣu draupadyā tatra bhārata | śvarūpadhāriṇā tatra punas tvāṃ me parīkṣitaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Bhārata, when your own brothers had perished there, along with Draupadī, I tested you a second time by assuming the form of a dog. In that trial too, you proved steadfast.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True dharma is shown not by success or reward but by unwavering ethical conduct—especially compassion and fidelity to one’s commitments—even when one stands alone after loss.
After Draupadī and the Pāṇḍava brothers have fallen on the final journey, Yudhiṣṭhira is subjected to another moral test: the divine examiner takes the form of a dog to assess his steadfastness, and Yudhiṣṭhira passes.