Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कथं हि भार्या पाण्डूनां पार्षतस्य स्वसा सती । वासुदेवस्य च सखी पार्थिवानां सभामियाम्‌,अन्यथा मैं पाण्डवोंकी पत्नी, धृष्टद्युम्नकी सुशीला बहन और भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णकी सखी होकर राजाओंकी इस सभामें कैसे लायी जा सकती थी?

Transliteration

kathaṁ hi bhāryā pāṇḍūnāṁ pārṣatasya svasā satī | vāsudevasya ca sakhī pārthivānāṁ sabhām imām anyathā ||

Translation

ಪಾಂಡವರ ಪತ್ನಿ, ಪಾರ್ಷತ (ಧೃಷ್ಟದ್ಯುಮ್ನ)ನ ಸತ್ಗುಣವಂತಿ ಸಹೋದರಿ, ವಾಸುದೇವ ಶ್ರೀಕೃಷ್ಣನ ಸಖಿಯಾಗಿರುವ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ರಾಜರ ಈ ಸಭೆಗೆ ಇಂತಹ ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಕರೆತರಬಹುದು?

Word by Word

कथम्how?

हिindeed/for

भार्याwife

पाण्डूनाम्of the Pāṇḍus/Pāṇḍavas

पार्षतस्यof Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna)

स्वसाsister

सतीvirtuous/chaste

वासुदेवस्यof Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

चand

सखीfriend (female friend)

पार्थिवानाम्of kings

सभाम्assembly/hall

इयाम्might I go/should I go

अन्यथाotherwise/else

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Draupadī

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

Pṛṣata

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

sabhā (royal assembly)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that social and moral obligations (dharma) intensify with status: humiliating a virtuous queen—connected to powerful allies and respected lineages—is a profound breach of ethical and royal norms, not a trivial courtly act.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the aftermath of the dice-game events, Vaiśampāyana voices astonishment and condemnation that Draupadī—wife of the Pāṇḍavas, sister of Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and friend of Kṛṣṇa—was dragged into the kings’ assembly in an improper manner.