Shloka 23
Role-Allocation in Virāṭa’s Court: Nakula, Sahadeva, and Draupadī’s Concealment
यथा न दुर्ह्वद: पापा भवन्ति सुखिन: पुनः । कुर्यास्तत् त्वं हि कल्याणि लक्षयेयुर्न ते तथा,कल्याणि! वहाँ ऐसा बर्ताव करना, जिससे वे पापी शत्रु फिर सुखी होनेका अवसर न पा सकें; वे तुम्हें किसी तरह पहचान न सकें
yathā na durhṛdaḥ pāpā bhavanti sukhinaḥ punaḥ | kuryās tat tvaṃ hi kalyāṇi lakṣayeyur na te tathā ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai wanita yang membawa tuah, bertindaklah sedemikian rupa agar musuh-musuh yang berdosa itu tidak lagi memperoleh peluang untuk hidup aman dan bahagia. Bawalah diri sehingga mereka tidak dapat mengenalimu dengan apa jua cara sekalipun.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches prudent, dharma-aligned caution: when facing hostile and unethical opponents, one should act strategically so as not to empower them again, and should avoid revealing one’s identity when concealment is necessary for protection and the larger righteous goal.
In the Virāṭa episode, Yudhiṣṭhira advises an addressed woman (kalyāṇi) to behave carefully so that their enemies cannot recognize her and thereby gain an advantage; the emphasis is on maintaining secrecy and preventing foes from regaining security.