Shloka 16
पुनर्द्यूत-समाह्वानम्
Renewed Summons to the Dice-Game and Exile Wager
सो<यं धर्मो मात्यगात् कौरवान् वै सभ्यान् गत्वा पृच्छ धर्म्य वचो मे । ते मां ब्रूयुर्निश्चितं तत् करिष्ये धर्मात्मानो नीतिमन्तो वरिष्ठा:
so ’yaṁ dharmo mātyagāt kauravān vai sabhyān gatvā pṛccha dharmyaṁ vaco me | te māṁ brūyur niścitaṁ tat kariṣye dharmātmāno nītimanto variṣṭhāḥ ||
Draupadī berkata: “Agar tindakanku tidak menyimpang daripada Dharma, pergilah kepada kaum Kaurava yang duduk di balairung dan tanyakan bagi pihakku soalan yang benar ini: ‘Apakah yang patut aku lakukan pada saat ini?’ Apa jua yang diputuskan dan diperintahkan kepadaku oleh para utama itu—yang teguh dalam Dharma dan arif dalam tata negara—pasti akan aku lakukan.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When faced with a morally fraught situation, one should consciously safeguard dharma by seeking guidance from those reputed to be righteous and discerning, and then act with firm resolve according to that considered judgment.
A speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) expresses the intention to avoid any breach of dharma by sending someone to the Kauravas seated in the royal assembly to ask what action is proper at that moment, promising to follow the decision of the eminent, dharma-minded elders.