Shloka 35
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
एको भर्ता स्त्रिया देवैरविहित: कुरुनन्दन । इयं त्वनेकवशगा बन्धकीति विनिश्चिता
eko bhartā striyā devair avihitaḥ kurunandana | iyaṁ tv anekavaśagā bandhakīti viniścitā ||
Karna berkata: “Wahai kebanggaan kaum Kuru, para dewa telah menetapkan bagi seorang wanita hanya seorang suami. Namun Draupadī ini berada di bawah banyak lelaki; maka dengan tegas dia harus dianggap sebagai pelacur istana (courtesan). Oleh itu, membawanya ke dalam perhimpunan bukanlah sesuatu yang luar biasa. Sama ada dia hanya berpakaian sehelai kain atau bahkan tanpa pakaian, dia boleh dibawa ke sini—itulah pendapatku yang jelas.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates adharma through abusive reasoning: Karna weaponizes a rigid claim about marriage to justify Draupadī’s public humiliation. The ethical lesson is that dharma cannot be upheld by slander, dehumanization, or coercion; public power used to shame the vulnerable is a mark of moral collapse in the assembly.
In the dice-hall episode, after the Pāṇḍavas are defeated and Draupadī is summoned, Karna speaks in the Kaurava court, addressing Duryodhana. He argues that because Draupadī has multiple husbands she should be treated as a courtesan, and he endorses bringing her into the assembly even in a state of undress—intensifying the outrage that defines the scene.