Shloka 17
Draupadī’s Grief at Seeing the Heroes in Disguise (द्रौपदी-विषादः / वेष-परिभव-वर्णनम्)
शतं दासीसहस्राणां यस्य नित्यं महानसे । पात्रीहस्तं दिवारात्रमतिथीन् भोजयन्त्युत
śataṁ dāsīsahasrāṇāṁ yasya nityaṁ mahānase | pātrīhastaṁ divārātram atithīn bhojayanty uta ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Di dapur agung baginda, seratus ribu dayang-dayang sentiasa—siang dan malam—melayani para tetamu, masing-masing dengan bejana di tangan. Rangkap ini menonjolkan kelimpahan sumber raja dan, lebih utama, amalan memuliakan tetamu (atithi-satkara) yang tidak pernah terputus sebagai tanda nyata rumah tangga yang berpegang pada dharma serta kewajipan diraja.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds atithi-dharma—continuous hospitality to guests—as a hallmark of righteous prosperity. Wealth is portrayed as ethically meaningful when it sustains service, feeding, and social responsibility rather than mere display.
Vaiśampāyana describes a royal household where an immense staff in the great kitchen serves guests without interruption, day and night. The description functions as a narrative marker of the ruler’s grandeur and the established custom of honoring and feeding visitors.