Shloka 19
Adhyaya 11 — Draupadī’s Grief, Demand for Justice, and Bhīma’s Departure
स कल्याणि बन दुर्ग दूरं द्रौणिरितो गत: । तस्य त्वं पातनं संख्ये कथं ज्ञास्यसि शोभने
sā kalyāṇi vana-durga-dūraṃ drauṇir ito gataḥ | tasya tvaṃ pātanaṃ saṅkhye kathaṃ jñāsyasi śobhane ||
वैशंपायन म्हणाले— कल्याणी, द्रौणि या वन-दुर्गातून फार दूर निघून गेला आहे. शोभने, मग रणात त्याचा पाडाव झाला हे तुला कसे कळेल?
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the limits of knowledge amid war: when a key actor has moved beyond one’s reach, certainty about outcomes (such as a warrior’s defeat) becomes difficult. It underscores how conflict produces distance, confusion, and unreliable access to truth.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā) has gone far away from the forest stronghold. Addressing a woman respectfully, he questions how she could learn of Drauṇi’s possible downfall in battle when he is no longer nearby or within immediate observation.