Shloka 49
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
गृह्नन्नज्जलिमालाश्र धार्तराष्ट्री जनाधिप: । सुयोधनो ययावग्रे श्रिया परमया ज्वलन्,धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र राजा दुर्योधन सम्राट्की भाँति श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणोंक मुखसे विजयसूचक आशीर्वादोंके साथ अपनी स्तुति सुनता तथा लोगोंकी प्रणामाञ्जलियोंको ग्रहण करता हुआ उत्कृष्ट शोभासे प्रकाशित हो आगे-आगे चला
vaiśampāyana uvāca | gṛhṇann añjalim ālāśrā dhārtarāṣṭrī janādhipaḥ | suyodhano yayāv agre śriyā paramayā jvalan |
Vaiśampāyana said: Accepting the reverent folded-hand salutations and listening to the laudatory blessings offered by the foremost brāhmaṇas, the Dhārtarāṣṭra king Suyodhana (Duryodhana) proceeded at the front, blazing with supreme splendor. The scene underscores how royal pride and public acclaim can magnify a ruler’s self-image, even when ethical discernment is needed.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how external honor—praise, blessings, and public salutations—can intensify a ruler’s pride and sense of grandeur; ethically, it cautions that acclaim is not the same as righteousness (dharma) and can obscure moral judgment.
Duryodhana, described as the Dhārtarāṣṭra king, moves at the head of the procession while receiving people’s folded-hand salutations and hearing brāhmaṇas’ laudatory blessings, appearing radiant with exceptional splendor.