Shloka 24
Draupadī’s Grief at Seeing the Heroes in Disguise (द्रौपदी-विषादः / वेष-परिभव-वर्णनम्)
अन्धान वृद्धांस्तथानाथान् बालानू् राष्ट्रेषु दुर्गतान् । बिभर्ति विविधान् राजा धृतिमान् सत्यविक्रम: । संविभागमना नित्यमानृशंस्याद् युधिष्ठिर:
andhān vṛddhāṁs tathānāthān bālānū rāṣṭreṣu durgatān | bibharti vividhān rājā dhṛtimān satyavikramaḥ | saṁvibhāgamanā nityam ānṛśaṁsyād yudhiṣṭhiraḥ, dhairyavān tathā satyaparākramī |
ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า พระเจ้ายุธิษฐิระผู้มั่นคง ผู้มีเดชานุภาพตั้งอยู่บนสัจจะ ด้วยความเมตตาเป็นนิสัย ทรงใส่ใจการแจกจ่ายอย่างเป็นธรรมอยู่เสมอ และทรงอุปถัมภ์ผู้ทุกข์ยากในแว่นแคว้น—คนตาบอด คนชรา ผู้ไร้ที่พึ่ง และเด็ก ๆ—มิได้ขาด
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s dharma is not merely power or conquest but compassionate stewardship: truthful strength expresses itself through steady support of the vulnerable and fair distribution of resources (saṁvibhāga), grounded in non-cruelty (ānṛśaṃsya) and fortitude (dhṛti).
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes Yudhiṣṭhira’s character as a ruler: he continually provides food and support to those in hardship within his realm—especially the blind, the elderly, the unprotected, and children—showing that his courage and prowess are inseparable from truth and compassion.