Shloka 5
Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Reconciliation and Partition (भीष्मोपदेशः—संधि-राज्यविभागविचारः)
कथमेका बहूनां स्याद् धर्मपत्नी न संकर: । एतन्मे भगवान् सर्व प्रत्रवीतु यथातथम्
katham ekā bahūnāṃ syād dharmapatnī na saṅkaraḥ | etan me bhagavān sarvaṃ prabravītu yathātatham, rājan |
“Bagaimanakah seorang wanita yang satu boleh menjadi isteri menurut dharma kepada ramai lelaki tanpa menanggung kesalahan saṅkara? Wahai Yang Mulia, jelaskanlah semuanya kepadaku dengan tepat sebagaimana adanya.” (Lalu Raja Drupada, dengan tutur yang lembut, menyoal resi agung Vyāsa tentang Draupadī.)
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-question: when an action appears to violate social norms (one wife for many husbands), its legitimacy must be assessed through authoritative dharma reasoning. It highlights concern for saṅkara—disorder in marital/lineage ethics—and seeks a principled explanation rather than mere custom.
After the decision that Draupadī will be connected to multiple husbands, King Drupada respectfully asks the sage Vyāsa to explain how this can be dharmically valid and free from the fault of saṅkara, requesting a truthful, complete account.