Shloka 17
Draupadī’s Grief at Seeing the Heroes in Disguise (द्रौपदी-विषादः / वेष-परिभव-वर्णनम्)
शतं दासीसहस्राणां यस्य नित्यं महानसे । पात्रीहस्तं दिवारात्रमतिथीन् भोजयन्त्युत
śataṁ dāsīsahasrāṇāṁ yasya nityaṁ mahānase | pātrīhastaṁ divārātram atithīn bhojayanty uta ||
ज्याच्या महान स्वयंपाकघरात नित्य एक लक्ष दासी पात्र हातात घेऊन दिवसरात्र अतिथींना भोजन घालत असत.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds atithi-dharma—continuous hospitality to guests—as a hallmark of righteous prosperity. Wealth is portrayed as ethically meaningful when it sustains service, feeding, and social responsibility rather than mere display.
Vaiśampāyana describes a royal household where an immense staff in the great kitchen serves guests without interruption, day and night. The description functions as a narrative marker of the ruler’s grandeur and the established custom of honoring and feeding visitors.