Shloka 5

Kurukṣetra–Sarasvatī Tīrtha-Māhātmya

Pilgrimage Merits and Sacred Geography

Devanagari script

यथा च वेदान्‌ सावित्री याज्ञसेनी तथा पतीन्‌ | न जहीौ धर्मत: पार्थान्‌ मेरुमर्कप्रभा यथा,जैसे गायत्री चारों वेदोंका और सूर्यकी प्रभा मेरु पर्वतका त्याग नहीं करती, उसी प्रकार याज्ञसेनी द्रौपदीने भी धर्मतः अपने पति कुन्तीकुमारोंका परित्याग नहीं किया

Transliteration

yathā ca vedān sāvitry yājñasenī tathā patīn | na jahau dharmataḥ pārthān merum arkaprabhā yathā ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: как Савитри (Гаятри) не оставляет Веды, и как сияние солнца не покидает гору Меру, так и Яджнясени (Драупади), следуя дхарме, не отреклась от своих супругов — Партхов, сыновей Кунти.

Word by Word

यथाjust as

चand

वेदान्the Vedas

सावित्रीSāvitrī (Gāyatrī)

याज्ञसेनीYājñasenī (Draupadī)

तथाso, likewise

पतीन्husbands

नnot

जहौabandoned, left

धर्मतःaccording to dharma, righteously

पार्थान्the Pārthas (sons of Pṛthā/Kuntī)

मेरुमर्कप्रभाthe sun’s radiance (arka-prabhā) [as related to Meru]

यथाjust as

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī)

Vedas

Yājñasenī (Draupadī)

Pārthas (Pāṇḍavas / sons of Kuntī)

Mount Meru

Arka (Sun)

Arkaprabhā (sunlight)

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 praises steadfast adherence to dharma: Draupadī’s loyalty to her husbands is presented as unwavering and natural, like the inseparable relation of Gāyatrī to the Vedas and sunlight to Mount Meru.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana characterizes Draupadī (Yājñasenī) as not abandoning the Pāṇḍavas even amid hardship, emphasizing her righteous constancy through two well-known sacred/cosmic similes.