Shloka 13
Svargārohaṇa-parva, Adhyāya 4 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Vision of the Celestial Assembly
Recognition and Explanation
'युधिष्ठिर! ये जो लोककमनीय विग्रहसे युक्त पवित्र गन्धवाली देवी दिखायी दे रही हैं, साक्षात् भगवती लक्ष्मी हैं। ये ही तुम्हारे लिये मनुष्यलोकमें जाकर अयोनिसम्भूता द्रौपदीके रूपमें अवतीर्ण हुई थीं ।। रत्यर्थ भवतां होषा निर्मिता शूलपाणिना । द्रुपदस्य कुले जाता भवद्धिश्वोपजीविता
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
yudhiṣṭhira! ye yā lokakamanīya-vigrahāḥ sa-yuktāḥ pavitra-gandha-vālinī devī dṛśyate, sā sākṣād bhagavatī lakṣmīḥ | eṣā hi tubhyaṁ manuṣya-loke gatvā ayoni-sambhūtā draupadī-rūpeṇa avatīrṇā āsīt ||
raty-arthaṁ bhavatāṁ hy eṣā nirmitā śūla-pāṇinā |
drupadasya kule jātā bhavad-dhiśvopajīvitā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, the radiant goddess you see—of a form delightful to the worlds and fragrant with purity—is none other than Bhagavatī Lakṣmī herself. For your sake she descended to the human realm, appearing as Draupadī, born not from a womb. Indeed, for your companionship she was fashioned by Śiva, and, taking birth in Drupada’s lineage, she became the very support of your welfare.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Draupadī’s presence as divinely purposed: prosperity and auspiciousness (Lakṣmī) accompany righteous kings, and human relationships in the epic can be instruments of a larger dharmic design rather than merely personal choice.
During the ascent toward heaven, Yudhiṣṭhira is shown a radiant goddess; Vaiśampāyana identifies her as Lakṣmī and explains that she previously descended to earth as the womb-unborn Draupadī, created by Śiva and born in Drupada’s line for the Pāṇḍavas’ sake.