Shloka 16

Kuntī’s Benediction to Draupadī and the Alliance Gifts (कुन्त्याः स्नुषाशीर्-वचनम् तथा दान-प्रतिग्रहः)

Devanagari script

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?

Transliteration

kaccit savarṇa-pravaro manuṣya udrikta-varṇo 'py uta eva kaccit | kaccin na vāmo mama mūrdhni pādaḥ kṛṣṇābhimarśena kṛto 'dya putra ||

Translation

“కృష్ణాను పొందిన వాడు నా వర్ణమైన క్షత్రియుల్లోనే శ్రేష్ఠుడా? లేక ఇంకా ఉన్నతమైన బ్రాహ్మణకులానికి చెందినవాడా? ఇంకా, నాయనా—కృష్ణాను తాకి ఏదైనా నీచజనుడు ఈ రోజు నా శిరస్సుపై ఎడమ పాదం పెట్టినట్లుగా అవమానించలేదా?”

Word by Word

कच्चित्whether? (interrogative particle)

सवर्ण-प्रवरःa foremost among the same varna

मनुष्यःman, person

उद्रिक्त-वर्णःof higher varna

अपिalso, even

उतor (alternatively)

एवindeed, just

कच्चित्whether?

नnot

वामःleft

ममmy

मूर्ध्निon (my) head

पादःfoot

कृष्णा-अभिमर्शेनby the touching of Krishna (Draupadi)

कृतःdone, made

उद्यःraised, lifted (up)

पुत्रO son

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

the suitor/winner of Draupadī (unnamed here)

varṇa categories: Kṣatriya, Brāhmaṇa

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 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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.