Shloka 6
द्रौपदी-भीमसेनसंवादः
Draupadī–Bhīmasena Dialogue on Suffering, Kāla, and Daiva
जब विराटनरेश प्रसन्न होकर तुम्हें हाथियोंसे लड़ाते हैं, उस समय रनिवासकी दूसरी स्त्रियाँ तो हँसती हैं और मेरा हृदय शोकसे व्याकुल हो उठता है ।।
śārṭūlair mahiṣaiḥ siṃhair āgāre yodhyase yadā | kaikeyyāḥ prekṣamāṇāyās tadā me kaśmalaṃ bhavet ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Setiap kali engkau dipaksa bertarung di halaman istana dengan harimau, kerbau, dan singa—sementara permaisuri (Kaikeyī/Sudeṣṇā) duduk menyaksikan—hatiku dikuasai pedih dan keliru. Walaupun wanita-wanita lain di ruang dalam tertawa melihat tontonan itu, aku dilanda dukacita, kerana permainan yang berbahaya itu tidak layak bagi seseorang yang sepatutnya dilindungi, dan ia menjadikan keberanian sebagai hiburan yang kejam.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts public amusement with private moral sensitivity: turning lethal danger into entertainment hardens the heart. True dharma includes compassion and restraint—especially in royal settings—so that strength is not displayed through needless cruelty or reckless endangerment.
In the Virāṭa court setting, the addressee is compelled to fight powerful animals within the palace precincts while the queen watches. Others laugh, but the speaker (narrator’s reported voice) feels deep distress (kaśmala), emphasizing the peril and the impropriety of such a spectacle.