Shloka 25
पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानवर्णनम् / The Pāṇḍavas’ Departure for the Forest
Vidura’s Report and Portents
धृतराष्टर उवाच हतो<सि दुर्योधन मन्दबुद्धे यस्त्वं सभायां कुरुपुज्गवानाम् | स्त्रियं समाभाषसि दुर्विनीत विशेषतो द्रौपदी धर्मपत्नीम्,धृतराष्ट्र बोले--रे मन्दबुद्धि दुर्योधन! तू तो जीता ही मारा गया। दुर्विनीत! तू श्रेष्ठ कुरुवंशियोंकी सभामें अपने ही कुलकी महिला एवं विशेषतः पाण्डवोंकी धर्मपत्नीको ले आकर उससे पापपूर्ण बातें कर रहा है
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | hato 'si duryodhana mandabuddhe yas tvaṁ sabhāyāṁ kurupuṅgavānām | striyaṁ samābhāṣasi durvinīta viśeṣato draupadīṁ dharmapatnīm ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra bertitah: “Engkau seolah-olah sudah terbunuh, wahai Duryodhana yang tumpul akal—kerana di balairung perhimpunan para Kuru yang terunggul, engkau yang tidak beradab telah menegur seorang wanita dengan kata-kata memalukan, khususnya Draupadī, isteri yang sah menurut dharma (bagi para Pāṇḍava).”
धृतराष्टर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Publicly dishonoring a woman—especially one protected by dharma and family bonds—in the presence of elders is a grave breach of dharma. Such adharma is portrayed as self-destructive: it brings social condemnation, karmic downfall, and ultimately ruin to the perpetrator and his house.
In the Kuru royal assembly, Duryodhana behaves insolently toward Draupadī. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, alarmed by the moral and political consequences, rebukes his son, declaring him ‘as good as dead’ for committing this outrage before the foremost Kurus.