Shloka 8

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 23: Report of the Slain Sūtaputras, Royal Orders, and Sairandhrī’s Return

Devanagari script

पराक्रमं तु सूतानां मत्वा राजान्वमोदत । सैरन्ध्य्रा: सूतपुत्रेण सह दाहं विशाम्पति:,राजाने सूतपुत्रोंके पराक्रमका विचार करके सैरन्ध्रीको कीचकके साथ जला डालनेकी अनुमति दे दी

Transliteration

parākramaṃ tu sūtānāṃ matvā rājānvamodata | sairandhryāḥ sūtaputreṇa saha dāhaṃ viśāmpatiḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Setelah menimbang keberanian orang-orang daripada golongan kusir, raja pun bersetuju. Penguasa rakyat itu memberi izin agar Sairandhrī dibakar bersama anak kusir tersebut.

Word by Word

पराक्रमम्valor, prowess

तुbut, indeed

सूतानाम्of the charioteers

मत्वाhaving considered/understood

राजाthe king

अन्वमोदतapproved, consented

सैरन्ध्याःof Sairandhrī (Draupadī in disguise)

सूतपुत्रेणby/with the charioteer’s son (Kīcaka)

सहtogether with

दाहम्burning, setting on fire

विशाम्पतिःlord of the people (the king)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

the king (Virāṭa)

Sairandhrī (Draupadī in disguise)

sūtaputra (Kīcaka)

sūtas (charioteer-class men)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a failure of dharma in governance: a ruler must protect those seeking refuge and ensure justice, but here the king’s assent—based on calculating others’ power—shows how fear and political expediency can lead to unethical decisions, especially against the vulnerable.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Kīcaka’s death, the court frames the situation so that the Sairandhrī is to be punished; the king, considering the influence and prowess of the sūta faction, gives approval for her to be burned along with Kīcaka, escalating the crisis that will soon draw Bhīma’s intervention.