Shloka 12
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
नैव पुत्रानु न च भ्रातृन् न पितृन् च बान्धवान् | नैव शिष्यान् न च ज्ञातीन् न बालात् स्थविरानू नच
naiva putrān na ca bhrātṝn na pitṝṁś ca bāndhavān | naiva śiṣyān na ca jñātīn na bālāt sthavirānū na ca ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “He would not spare even sons, nor brothers, nor fathers, nor other kinsmen; nor would he spare disciples or relatives—neither the young nor the aged.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical horror of unchecked hostility: when anger or ambition overwhelms dharma, even the most sacred bonds—children, parents, teachers, and the vulnerable young and old—cease to restrain violence. It functions as a warning about moral collapse and the loss of compassion.
Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, describes a person (contextually, a figure driven by ruthless intent) whose enmity or resolve has become so extreme that he would not refrain from harming even close family, disciples, and relatives, regardless of age.