Shloka 20
Adhyaya 11 — Draupadī’s Grief, Demand for Justice, and Bhīma’s Departure
“कल्याणि! द्रोणकुमार तो यहाँसे भागकर दुर्गम वनमें चला गया है। शोभने! यदि उसे युद्धमें मार गिराया जाय तो भी तुम्हें इसका विश्वास कैसे होगा?” ।। द्रौपहुुवाच द्रोणपुत्रस्य सहजो मणि: शिरसि मे श्रुतः । निहत्य संख्ये तं पापं पश्येयं मणिमाहृतम्
kalyāṇi! droṇakumāraḥ sa ihāto bhāgya durgamaṁ vanam upagataḥ. śobhane! yadi sa yuddhe nihanyeta, tathāpi tasminn asya viśvāsaḥ kathaṁ te bhavet? || draupady uvāca: droṇaputrasya sahajaḥ maṇiḥ śirasi me śrutaḥ. nihatya saṅkhye taṁ pāpaṁ paśyeyaṁ maṇim āhṛtam.
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「吉祥なる御方よ、ドローナの子はここから逃れ、踏み入り難い深林へと去った。美しき御方よ、たとえ戦で討ち倒されたとしても、あなたはどうしてそれを確信できようか。」 ドラウパディーは答えた。「ドローナの子は、生まれつき頭上に宝珠を宿すと聞いております。あの罪深き者が戦場で討たれるなら、その宝珠がここへ持ち帰られるのを、私は見届けたいのです。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the chaos of war and its aftermath, moral claims and decisions often hinge on verifiable proof. The passage highlights the ethical tension between the desire for retribution and the need for certainty—Draupadī seeks an unmistakable sign (the inborn jewel) rather than relying on mere report.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Droṇa’s son has escaped into a difficult forest, making his fate uncertain. Draupadī responds that she has heard he bears a birth-jewel on his head, and she would accept his death as certain only if that jewel is brought back from the battlefield.