Shloka 23
कर्णस्य मन्त्रः — Duryodhana-प्रति नीति-विचारः
Karna’s Counsel on Strategy toward the Pāṇḍavas
युधिछिर उवाच सर्वेषां महिषी राजन् द्रौपदी नो भविष्यति । एवं प्रव्याह्वतं पूर्व मम मात्रा विशाम्पते,युधिष्ठिरने कहा--राजन्! द्रौपदी तो हम सभी भाइयोंकी पटरानी होगी। मेरी माताने पहले हम सब लोगोंको ऐसी ही आज्ञा दे रखी है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca sarveṣāṃ mahiṣī rājan draupadī no bhaviṣyati | evaṃ pravyāhṛtaṃ pūrvaṃ mama mātrā viśāmpate ||
యుధిష్ఠిరుడు పలికెను—“రాజా, ద్రౌపది మా అందరి మహిషీగా (పట్టమహిషిగా) ఉండును. హే ప్రజాధిపతీ, మా తల్లి ముందే ఇలానే ఆజ్ఞాపించింది.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma as obedience to an elder’s prior word and the attempt to align an extraordinary marital arrangement with perceived duty and royal propriety—Yudhiṣṭhira frames the decision as grounded in his mother’s instruction rather than personal desire.
In the context of Draupadī’s marriage, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king and declares that Draupadī will be the principal queen of all the brothers, citing Kuntī’s earlier utterance as the decisive directive.