Shloka 22

Role-Allocation in Virāṭa’s Court: Nakula, Sahadeva, and Draupadī’s Concealment

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच कल्याणं भाषसे कृष्णे कुले जातासि भामिनि । न पापमभिजानासि साध्वी साधुव्रते स्थिता,युधिष्ठिर बोले--कृष्णे! तुमने भली बात कही, इसमें कल्याण ही भरा है। क्‍यों न हो, तुम ऊँचे कुलमें उत्पन्न जो हुई हो! भामिनि! तुम्हें पापका रंचमात्र भी ज्ञान नहीं है। तुम साध्वी हो और उत्तम व्रतके पालनमें तत्पर रहती हो

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kalyāṇaṃ bhāṣase kṛṣṇe kule jātāsi bhāmini | na pāpam abhijānāsi sādhvī sādhu-vrate sthitā ||

Translation

യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ കൃഷ്ണേ! നീ പറയുന്നത് കല്യാണകരവും മംഗളകരവും ആയ വചനങ്ങളാണ്; മഹത്തായ കുലത്തിൽ ജനിച്ചവൾക്കത് യുക്തം തന്നേ. ഹേ ഭാമിനി! പാപം എന്നതിന്റെ ലേശമാത്രം പോലും നീ അറിയുന്നില്ല; നീ സാധ്വി, സദ്വ്രതങ്ങളിൽ സ്ഥിരയായവൾ.

Word by Word

• {'kalyāṇam': 'welfare, auspicious good, what leads to well-being', 'bhāṣase': 'you speak, you utter', 'kṛṣṇe (voc.)': 'O Kṛṣṇā

• epithet of Draupadī', 'kule': 'in a family/lineage', 'jātā asi': 'you are born', 'bhāmini (voc.)': 'O spirited/impassioned woman

• also ‘one who is proud/ardent’', 'na': 'not', 'pāpam': 'sin, wrongdoing, demerit', 'abhijānāsi': 'you know/recognize, you are aware of', 'sādhvī': 'a chaste/virtuous woman

• morally upright', 'sādhu-vrate': 'in good vows

• in righteous observances', 'sthitā': 'standing firm, established, steadfast'}

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse upholds ethical speech and steadfast virtue: wholesome counsel arises from disciplined character, and true nobility is shown through purity of conduct and commitment to righteous vows.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Virāṭa episode, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Draupadī (called Kṛṣṇā), commending her words as auspicious and praising her moral integrity, emphasizing her noble birth and unwavering commitment to virtuous observances.