Shloka 21
रामस्य पम्पातीरगमनम्, सुग्रीवसख्यं, वालिवधः, सीतारक्षणवृत्तान्तश्च
Rāma at Pampā; alliance with Sugrīva; Vālin’s fall; Sītā’s guarded captivity
निशम्य तद्वच: कृष्णा लज्जिता वाक्यमब्रवीत् । स्थाल्यां भास्करदत्तायामन्नं मद्भोजनावधि
niśamya tadvacaḥ kṛṣṇā lajjitā vākyamabravīt | sthālyāṃ bhāskaradattāyām annaṃ madbhojanāvadhī
Hearing those words, Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), overcome with modest embarrassment, replied. She indicated that in the dish given by Bhāskara there was food only up to the limit of her own meal—implying that the supply had been exhausted after she had eaten, and that she could not offer more at that moment.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between the duty of hospitality and the reality of limited resources, alongside Draupadī’s modest, truthful speech—suggesting that dharma includes honesty and humility when one cannot fulfill an expected obligation.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Draupadī, after hearing someone’s words, responds with embarrassment and explains that the food in the vessel given by Bhāskara lasts only until she has eaten—indicating that there is no remaining food to serve beyond that point.