Shloka 18
पुनर्द्यूत-समाह्वानम्
Renewed Summons to the Dice-Game and Exile Wager
वैशम्पायन उवाच युधिष्ठिरस्तु तच्छुत्वा दुर्योधनचिकीर्षितम् । द्रौपद्या: सम्मतं दूतं प्राहिणोद् भरतर्षभ
vaiśampāyana uvāca | yudhiṣṭhiras tu tac chrutvā duryodhana-cikīrṣitam | draupadyāḥ sammatam dūtaṃ prāhiṇod bharatarṣabha ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Wahai lembu jantan keturunan Bharata, setelah mendengar apa yang hendak dilakukan Duryodhana, Yudhiṣṭhira mengutus seorang pembawa pesan yang diterima oleh Draupadī—seorang yang dikenalinya—agar melalui dialah pesanan itu disampaikan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how adharma can be advanced through seemingly formal actions—summoning, messaging, and procedure—when power is used to coerce the vulnerable. It sets up the ethical question of whether authority and custom can justify humiliation, and foreshadows the conflict between dharma (right conduct) and the misuse of royal institutions.
After learning Duryodhana’s intended course of action, Yudhiṣṭhira sends a messenger whom Draupadī would accept and recognize, to convey a summons/message. This is part of the escalating events in the assembly that lead to Draupadī being drawn into the sabhā under pressure.