Shloka 19
भीष्मद्रोणयोर्दुर्योधनं प्रति शमोपदेशः | Bhīṣma and Droṇa’s Counsel of Conciliation to Duryodhana
स्त्रीधर्मिणी वरारोहा क्षत्रधर्मरता सदा । नाध्यगच्छत् तदा नाथं कृष्णा नाथवती सती
strīdharminī varārohā kṣatradharmaratā sadā | nādhyagacchat tadā nāthaṃ kṛṣṇā nāthavatī satī ||
«ດຣອບະດີ—ຜູ້ຮັກສາທໍາຂອງສະຕຣີ ຜູ້ສູງສົງ ແລະມຸ່ງໝັ້ນໃນທໍາຂອງນັກຮົບຢູ່ເສມອ—ໃນຍາມນັ້ນກໍບໍ່ອາດພົບຜູ້ປົກປ້ອງໄດ້. ແມ່ນແທ້ວ່ານາງເປັນພັນລະຍາຜູ້ມີຄຸນທໍາ ແລະມີຜູ້ພຶ່ງພາໄດ້ຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ, ແຕ່ໃນວັນນັ້ນໃນສະພາຂອງກົວຣະວະ ນາງກໍບໍ່ພົບຜູ້ໃດມາປົກປ້ອງ ແລະຕ້ອງທົນຄວາມອັບອາຍດັ່ງຄົນບໍ່ມີທີ່ພຶ່ງ.»
पुत्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral failure: even a virtuous woman who should have been protected by social and familial duty found no defender in a public assembly. It underscores that dharma is not merely personal virtue (satī, strī-dharma) but also collective responsibility—especially the kṣatriya obligation to protect and uphold justice.
The speaker recalls Draupadī’s ordeal in the Kaurava court: despite being a lawful wife with rightful protectors, she was left without effective refuge when she was publicly wronged. The line frames her as exemplary in conduct, while exposing the assembly’s ethical collapse in failing to shield her.