Shloka 9
द्रौपदी-स्वयंवर-प्रारम्भः
Commencement of Draupadī’s Svayaṃvara
एवं परस्परं तौ तु पथो<र्थ वाक्यमूचतु: । अपसर्पापसर्पेति वागुत्तरमकुर्वताम्,इस प्रकार वे दोनों आपसमें रास्तेके लिये वाग्युद्ध करने लगे। एक कहता, “तुम हटो' तो दूसरा कहता, “नहीं, तुम हटो।' इस प्रकार वे उत्तर-प्रत्युत्तर करने लगे
evaṃ parasparaṃ tau tu patho 'rthaṃ vākyam ūcatuḥ | apasarpāpasarpeti vāguttaram akurvatām ||
Thế rồi hai người lời qua tiếng lại vì quyền đi đường. Một bên cứ nói: “Tránh ra, tránh ra,” bên kia cũng đáp lại y như vậy—đối đáp từng lời, không ai chịu nhường ai.
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
A small, ordinary issue—like yielding space on a road—can become a serious conflict when ego dominates. The verse implicitly values restraint in speech and readiness to yield, aligning with dharma as self-control and avoidance of needless hostility.
Two individuals meet on the road and argue over who should give way. They engage in a back-and-forth exchange, each repeatedly telling the other to move aside, turning the encounter into a verbal duel.