Shloka 29
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
तैर्विसृष्टं महाबाहुं कृत्या सैवानयत् पुनः । तमेव देशं यत्रासौ तदा प्रायमुपाविशत्,दैत्योंक विदा करनेपर उसी कृत्याने महाबाहु दुर्योधनको पुनः उसी स्थानपर पहुँचा दिया, जहाँ वह पहले आमरण उपवासके लिये बैठा था
tair visṛṣṭaṃ mahābāhuṃ kṛtyā saivānayat punaḥ | tameva deśaṃ yatrāsau tadā prāyam upāviśat ||
Released by them, the sorcerous creation (kṛtyā) brought the mighty-armed one back again—returning him to that very place where he had earlier sat down, resolved upon fasting unto death. The episode underscores how destructive rites and coercive forces can be used to thwart a chosen act of self-restraint, turning a moral resolve into a pawn of hostility.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unethical means—here, a kṛtyā (sorcerous force)—can be deployed to manipulate a person’s resolve. It cautions that vows and acts of self-discipline (like prāya, fasting unto death) can be distorted when driven by anger, rivalry, or coercion rather than dharmic intent.
A kṛtyā that had been dispatched is described as bringing the mighty-armed Duryodhana back to the very spot where he had earlier seated himself to undertake prāya—fasting unto death. The narration frames a return to the scene of his prior extreme resolve.