Shloka 16

Draupadī’s Rebuke of Jayadratha and Dhaumya’s Admonition (Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 252)

Devanagari script

त एवमुक्ता: प्रत्यूचू राजानमरिमर्दनम्‌

Transliteration

te evamuktāḥ pratyūcuḥ rājānam arimardanam | rājendra tava yā gatir bhaviṣyati saiva asmākam api bhaviṣyati | bhārata tvayā vinā vayaṃ hastināpuraṃ kathaṃ praviśema ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Được nói như thế, những người thân tín đáp lời vị vua khuất phục kẻ thù: “Ôi bậc chúa tể các vua! Con đường và số phận nào đang đợi ngài, thì cũng sẽ là của chúng tôi. Ôi dòng dõi Bharata! Không có ngài, làm sao chúng tôi có thể bước vào Hastināpura?”

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• उक्ताः: having been addressed / spoken to
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, kta (past passive participle)

• प्रत्युचुः: replied
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अरिमर्दनम्: enemy-crushing (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरिमर्दन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Duryodhana
• Hastināpura
• Bharata (lineage epithet: Bhārata)
• the well-wishers/allies (suhṛd)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethic of shared responsibility: true companions accept the same outcome as their leader, valuing fidelity and collective honor over individual safety. It also hints at the moral weight of political allegiance—standing with a king implies sharing the consequences of his chosen path.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being addressed, the king’s well-wishers/allies respond to Duryodhana, declaring that his fate will be theirs too. They insist they cannot enter Hastināpura without him, emphasizing their dependence on his leadership and their commitment to remain united with him.