Shloka 18

द्रौपदी-वरण-प्रत्ययः — Intelligence Reports and the Kaurava Court’s Response

Devanagari script

पाण्डुहिं राजा द्रुपदस्य राज्ञ: प्रियः सखा चात्मसमो बभूव । तस्यैष कामो दुहिता ममेयं स्‍्नुषां प्रदास्यामि हि कौरवाय,“महाराज पाण्डु राजा ट्रुपदके आत्माके समान प्रिय मित्र थे। इसलिये उनकी यह अभिलाषा थी कि मैं अपनी इस पुत्रीका विवाह पाण्डुकुमारसे करूँ। इसे राजा पाण्डुको पुत्रवधूके रूपमें समर्पित करूँ:

Transliteration

pāṇḍuḥ rājā drupadasya rājñaḥ priyaḥ sakhā ca ātmasamo babhūva | tasya eṣa kāmo duhitā mama iyaṁ snuṣāṁ pradāsyāmi hi kauravāya ||

Translation

Dṛṣṭadyumna nói: “Vua Pāṇḍu là người bạn thân yêu của vua Drupada, được người coi như chính bản thân mình. Vì thế Drupada ôm ấp nguyện vọng này: ‘Ta sẽ gả con gái ta làm dâu cho dòng Kaurava (tức cho con trai của Pāṇḍu).’”

Word by Word

• {'pāṇḍuḥ (rājā)': 'King Pāṇḍu', 'drupadasya rājñaḥ': 'of King Drupada', 'priyaḥ': 'dear, beloved', 'sakhā': 'friend', 'ātmasamaḥ': 'equal to oneself

• as dear as one’s own self', 'babhūva': 'became

• was', 'tasya': 'of him (Drupada)', 'eṣa kāmaḥ': 'this desire/wish', 'duhitā': 'daughter', 'mama iyam': 'this (daughter) of mine', 'snuṣā': 'daughter-in-law', 'pradāsyāmi': 'I shall give (in marriage)', 'hi': 'indeed, surely', 'kauravāya': 'to a Kaurava

• to the Kuru line (here: to Pāṇḍu’s son)'}

Speaker

धृष्टह्ुम्न उवाच

Characters & Entities

• धृष्टद्युम्न (Dhṛṣṭadyumna)
• पाण्डु (Pāṇḍu)
• द्रुपद (Drupada)
• कौरव (Kaurava/Kuru line)
• द्रुपदस्य दुहिता (Drupada’s daughter)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and social ideal that deep friendship and mutual respect between rulers can rightly express itself through a dharmic marital alliance, strengthening bonds between families and lineages.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna explains that Drupada regarded Pāṇḍu as a beloved friend, and therefore Drupada wished to give his daughter in marriage into Pāṇḍu’s line—specifically as a bride for Pāṇḍu’s son—framing it as a deliberate alliance grounded in affection and esteem.