Shloka 20
Sarasvatī–Tārkṣya Saṃvāda: Agnihotra-vidhi, Dāna-phala, and Mokṣa-prasaṅga (सरस्वती–तार्क्ष्यसंवादः)
वनमें पाण्डवोंसे श्रीकृष्ण-सत्यभामाका मिलना यदा जनौघ: कुरुजाड्लानां कृष्णां सभायामवशामपश्यत् | अपेतधर्मव्यवहार वृत्तं सहेत तत् पाण्डव कस्त्वदन्य:,'पाण्डुनन्दन! कुरुजांगलदेशकी जनताने द्यूतसभामें द्रौयदीको जिस विवश-अवस्थामें देखा था और उस समय उसके साथ जो पापपूर्ण बर्ताव किया गया था, उसे आपके सिवा दूसरा कौन सह सकता था?
vaiśampāyana uvāca | yadā janaughaḥ kurujāṅgalānāṃ kṛṣṇāṃ sabhāyām avaśām apaśyat | apeta-dharma-vyavahāra-vṛttaṃ saheta tat pāṇḍava kas tvad anyaḥ | pāṇḍu-nandana! kurujāṅgala-deśa-kī janatā ne dyūta-sabhā meṃ draupadī ko jis vivaśa-avasthā meṃ dekhā thā aur us samay uske sāth jo pāpa-pūrṇa bartāv kiyā gayā thā, use āpke sivā dūsrā kaun sah saktā thā? |
Vaiśampāyana said: When the multitude of the Kurujāṅgala people saw Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) in the assembly, helpless, and witnessed the conduct that had fallen away from dharma—those sinful dealings—who other than you, O Pāṇḍava, could have endured it? O son of Pāṇḍu, who besides you could bear what was done to her in the dice-hall when she was seen in such utter powerlessness?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns conduct that has ‘fallen away from dharma’ and highlights the ethical weight of public injustice: witnessing and enduring a grievous wrong done to a helpless person tests moral strength, and such endurance is portrayed as extraordinary.
The speaker recalls the dice-hall episode where Draupadī (Kṛṣṇā) was seen in a helpless state and treated with adharma. Addressing a Pāṇḍava, he says that no one else could have borne such a scene and its sinful treatment.