Shloka 10
पुनर्द्यूत-समाह्वानम्
Renewed Summons to the Dice-Game and Exile Wager
कस्येशो न: पराजैषीरिति त्वामाह द्रौपदी । कि नु पूर्व पराजैषीरात्मानमथवापि माम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | kasyaiśo naḥ parājaiṣīr iti tvām āha draupadī | ki nu pūrvaṃ parājaiṣīr ātmānam athavāpi mām |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Draupadī bertanya kepadamu: “Ketika engkau masih tuan kepada apa, engkau telah kalah akan diriku? Katakanlah—adakah engkau kalah dirimu dahulu, atau engkau juga kalah akan aku?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Draupadī’s challenge highlights a dharma-based critique of ownership and authority: if a person has already lost his own autonomy, he cannot ethically (and arguably legally) stake another person. The verse foregrounds responsibility, consent, and the limits of a husband’s power.
In the dice-hall episode, Draupadī sends a pointed question to be conveyed to Yudhiṣṭhira: under what rightful lordship did he wager her, and whether he first lost himself or her. This sets up the broader debate among elders about the legitimacy of the wager and the injustice done to her.