Shloka 22
द्रौपद्याः भीमसेन-प्रबोधनम्
Draupadī Awakens Bhīmasena
(द्रौपदु॒वाच प्रजारक्षणशीलानां राज्ञां हमिततेजसाम् | कार्य हि पालन नित्यं धर्मे सत्ये च तिषठताम् ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
evaṁ vilapamānāyāṁ pāñcālyāṁ matsyapuṅgavaḥ |
aśaktaḥ kīcakaṁ tatra śāsituṁ baladarpitam ||
ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಪಾಂಚಾಲಿ ಹೀಗೆ ವಿಲಪಿಸಿದರೂ, ಮತ್ಸ್ಯರಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನಾದ ವಿರಾಟರಾಜನು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಬಲದ ಗರ್ವದಿಂದ ಉಬ್ಬಿದ ಕೀಚಕನನ್ನು ಶಿಕ್ಷಿಸಲು ಅಥವಾ ದಂಡಿಸಲು ಅಸಮರ್ಥನಾಗಿಯೇ ಉಳಿದನು।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is to restrain wrongdoing and protect those seeking refuge; when a king becomes ‘aśakta’ (unable) before a powerful offender, justice collapses and the court becomes complicit in adharma.
Draupadī (as Pāñcālī) pleads and laments after being abused by Kīcaka, but King Virāṭa, despite being the sovereign, cannot or will not discipline Kīcaka because Kīcaka is emboldened by power and influence.