Shloka 23
गन्धमादन-हिमवत्प्रयाणे युधिष्ठिर-भीमसंवादः
Yudhiṣṭhira–Bhīma Dialogue on the Gandhamādana–Himavat Ascent
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः कृष्णाब्रवीद् वाक््य॑ं प्रहसन्ती मनोरमा । गमिष्यामि न संताप: कार्यो मां प्रति भारत,नकुलः सहदेवश्न भीमसेनश्च पार्थिव । अहं च त्वं च कौन्तेय द्रक्ष्याम: श्वेतवाहनम् लोमशजीने कहा--कुन्तीनन्दन! गन्धमादन पर्वतपर तपस्याके बलसे ही जाया जा सकता है। हम सब लोगोंको तपःशक्तिका संचय करना होगा। महाराज! नकुल, सहदेव, भीमसेन, मैं और तुम सभी लोग तपोबलसे ही अर्जुनको देख सकेंगे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tataḥ kṛṣṇābravīd vākyam prahasantī manoramā | gamiṣyāmi na santāpaḥ kāryo māṃ prati bhārata | nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca bhīmasenaś ca pārthiva | ahaṃ ca tvaṃ ca kaunteya drakṣyāmaḥ śvetavāhanam |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Kemudian Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), tersenyum manis, berkata: “Aku akan pergi; janganlah bersedih kerana aku, wahai Bhārata. Nakula dan Sahadeva, dan Bhīmasena juga, wahai raja—dan aku serta engkau, wahai putera Kuntī—akan menatap Sang Penunggang Kuda Putih (Arjuna).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes steadfastness and shared resolve: Draupadī urges the king not to succumb to grief and affirms collective effort toward a difficult goal. In the broader context (as reflected in the accompanying tradition), success requires inner discipline and accumulated tapas—ethical self-mastery rather than mere physical strength.
Draupadī, smiling, reassures Yudhiṣṭhira that she will accompany the journey and that he should not worry about her. She names the brothers—Nakula, Sahadeva, and Bhīma—and says that together with Yudhiṣṭhira they will see ‘Śvetavāhana,’ i.e., Arjuna, indicating their intention to reach him despite hardships.