Shloka 33

Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ

Devanagari script

कीर्तिता द्रौपदी वाचा अनुज्ञाता च पाण्डवै: । भवत्यविजिता केन हेतुनैषा मता तव

Transliteration

kīrtitā draupadī vācā anujñātā ca pāṇḍavaiḥ | bhavaty avijitā kena hetunaiṣā matā tava ||

Translation

കർണൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ദ്രൗപദിയെ വാക്കിലൂടെ (പണമായി) പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്; പാണ്ഡവരും അതിന് സമ്മതം നൽകിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. പിന്നെ അവൾ ആരാൽ ‘ജയിക്കപ്പെടാത്തവൾ’ ആകുന്നു? എന്ത് കാരണത്താൽ നീ ഇങ്ങനെ കരുതുന്നു?

Word by Word

कीर्तिताwas mentioned/was spoken of

द्रौपदीDraupadi

वाचाby (her) speech/words

अनुज्ञाताwas permitted/was allowed

चand

पाण्डवैःby the Pandavas

भवतिis/comes to be

अविजिताunconquered/undefeated

केनby whom?/by what?

हेतुनाby what reason?/for what cause?

एषाthis (woman)/she

मताis considered/thought

तवof you/your

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Karna

Draupadī

Pāṇḍavas

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 a contested ethical-legal question: whether verbal declaration and the consent of the gamblers is sufficient to make a person a legitimate stake. It frames the tension between procedural consent and deeper dharma concerning personal autonomy and the dignity of a woman.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the dice-hall dispute, Karna challenges the objection that Draupadī has not been ‘won.’ He argues that she was verbally staked and that the Pāṇḍavas assented, and he demands the rationale for claiming she remains unwon.