Shloka 31
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
गतायामथ तस्यां तु राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा । स्वप्रभूतमिदं सर्वमचिन्तयत भारत
gatāyām atha tasyāṃ tu rājā duryodhanas tadā | svaprabhūtam idaṃ sarvam acintayat bhārata ||
Vaiśampāyana said: When she had departed, King Duryodhana at that time reflected upon all this as a display of his own power—O descendant of Bharata—turning the moment into a calculation of dominance rather than a consideration of righteousness.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a ruler’s mind can interpret events through the lens of self-power (svaprabhūta), revealing pride and a tendency to prioritize dominance over dharma; it implicitly cautions that such self-centered calculation is ethically corrosive.
After a woman previously present has left, the narration notes Duryodhana’s immediate reaction: he mentally reviews the situation and frames it as evidence of his own strength and control, marking a shift from the event itself to his internal political-psychological response.