Shloka 16
Kuntī’s Benediction to Draupadī and the Alliance Gifts (कुन्त्याः स्नुषाशीर्-वचनम् तथा दान-प्रतिग्रहः)
कच्चित् सवर्णप्रवरो मनुष्य उद्रिक्तवर्णोप्युत एव कच्चित् । कच्चिन्न वामो मम मूर्श्नि पाद: कृष्णाभिमर्शेन कृतोड्द्य पुत्र,“क्या द्रौपदीको पानेवाला मनुष्य अपने समान वर्ण (क्षत्रियकुल)-का ही कोई श्रेष्ठ पुरुष है? अथवा वह अपनेसे भी श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणकुलका है?” बेटा! मेरी कृष्णाका स्पर्श कर किसी निम्नवर्णवाले मनुष्यने आज मेरे मस्तकपर अपना बायाँ पैर तो नहीं रख दिया?
kaccit savarṇa-pravaro manuṣya udrikta-varṇo 'py uta eva kaccit | kaccin na vāmo mama mūrdhni pādaḥ kṛṣṇābhimarśena kṛto 'dya putra ||
Disse Vaiśampāyana: “Dize-me, meu filho: o homem que conquistou Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) era um herói distinto da mesma ordem (um Kṣatriya), ou talvez de uma ordem ainda mais elevada, um Brāhmaṇa? E dize-me também: ao tocar Kṛṣṇā, algum homem de baixa condição hoje, por assim dizer, pôs o seu pé esquerdo sobre a minha cabeça?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how concerns about dharma and social norms (varṇa-based expectations) shape perceptions of honor and legitimacy—especially in marriage alliances. It also exposes the ethical tension between inner worth and external status markers, showing how anxiety about reputation can distort judgment.
A speaker anxiously inquires about the identity and social standing of the man who has won Draupadī (Kṛṣṇā) at the svayaṃvara. He asks whether the victor is a noble Kṣatriya of the same order, or even a Brāhmaṇa, and fears that if a low-born man touched her, it would be a grave humiliation—figuratively like placing a left foot on his head.