Shloka 48
कामीकवन-समागमः
Kāmyaka Forest Meeting: Kṛṣṇa’s Visit; Mārkaṇḍeya and Nārada Arrive
द्रौपद्या रक्षणं कार्यमित्युवाच धनंजयम् | नकुलं सहदेवं च व्यादिदेश द्विजान् प्रति,जाते समय उन्होंने अर्जुनसे कहा--'द्रौपदीकी रक्षा करना।” फिर उन्होंने नकुल और सहदेवको ब्राह्मणोंकी रक्षा एवं सेवाके लिये आज्ञा दी
drauḍyā rakṣaṇaṁ kāryam ity uvāca dhanañjayam | nakulaṁ sahadevaṁ ca vyādideśa dvijān prati ||
Vaiśampāyana said: He told Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), “Draupadī must be protected.” Then he instructed Nakula and Sahadeva to attend to the brāhmaṇas—ensuring their safety and rendering them proper service. The passage underscores the ethical ordering of duties: safeguarding the vulnerable and honoring the learned through protection and hospitality.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is expressed through rightly ordered responsibilities: protect those under one’s care (here, Draupadī) and uphold social-religious obligations by safeguarding and serving brāhmaṇas. The verse models leadership as assigning duties according to capability and ethical priority.
A directive is issued: Arjuna is tasked with Draupadī’s protection, while Nakula and Sahadeva are assigned to the protection and service of the brāhmaṇas. It shows the group organizing itself to meet immediate moral and practical needs.