Shloka 496
Kṛṣṇa at Duryodhana’s House: Refusal of Hospitality and Departure to Vidura (कृष्णस्य धार्तराष्ट्रनिवेशनगमनम्)
न मे दुःखतरं किंचिद् भूतपूर्व ततो5धिकम् । 'युधिष्ठिर
na me duḥkhataraṃ kiñcid bhūtapūrva tato 'dhikam | yudhiṣṭhira-bhīma-arjuna-nakula-sahadevān api me na draupadyāḥ adhikatarāḥ priyāḥ | sā draupadīṃ mayā bhari sabhāyāṃ ānītāṃ dṛṣṭvā, tasmād adhikaṃ mahad duḥkhaṃ me pūrvaṃ kadācana nābhavat ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Nada mais doloroso do que isso jamais me aconteceu—nada maior em tristeza. Nem mesmo Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula e Sahadeva me são mais queridos do que Draupadī. Quando vi aquela mesma Draupadī arrastada para o meio da assembleia repleta, senti um pesar maior do que qualquer outro que eu tivesse conhecido antes.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical shock of public humiliation: violating a woman’s dignity in a royal assembly is portrayed as a supreme cause of grief and a sign of adharma. It also highlights steadfast loyalty—Draupadī’s worth and honor are held as precious as, or more than, even the greatest heroes.
Vaiśaṃpāyana recalls the traumatic moment when Draupadī was brought into the crowded court. He states that no earlier sorrow matched the pain of witnessing her public disgrace, emphasizing how deeply that event wounded the moral order and the hearts of those who revered her.