Shloka 346
द्रौपदी-शैब्यसंवादः — Draupadī’s Identification and Counsel on Hospitality
पादौ संस्पृश्य मानाहँं भ्रातुर्ज्येछ्ठस्य भारत । 'भैया! आप ही हमारे कुलमें सौ वर्षोतक राजा बने रहेंगे।। जनमेजय! ऐसा कहकर दुःशासन अपने बड़े भाईके माननीय चरणोंको पकड़कर फूट-फूटकर रोने लगा
pādau saṃspṛśya mānāhaṃ bhrātur jyeṣṭhasya bhārata | “bhaiyā! āp hī hamāre kuleṃ śata-varṣotaka rājā bane raheṅge” || janamejaya! iti uktvā duḥśāsanaḥ sva-bhrātur mahānīya-caraṇau gṛhītvā phūṭ-phūṭkar ruroda ||
毗湿摩波耶那说：“噢，婆罗多啊，我恭敬地触及长兄之足，便说道：‘兄长！唯有你将于我族中为王，整整一百年。’”噢，阇那美阇耶！说罢，杜沙娑那抱住兄长那受敬的双足，放声恸哭，不能自已。此景凸显：在危急关头，外在的敬礼与忠顺常被唤起——或出于真悔、或因惧怕、或为求庇护——并映照出亲族之情与既往恶业之果之间的伦理张力。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral ambiguity of external displays of devotion—touching an elder’s feet and pledging loyalty—especially when performed under pressure. It invites reflection on whether repentance and reverence are meaningful without prior restraint and righteous conduct (dharma) and how actions inevitably return as consequences.
Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that Duḥśāsana approaches his eldest brother (implicitly Duryodhana), touches and clutches his feet, declares that the elder should remain king for a hundred years, and then breaks down crying—an intense moment of supplication and emotional collapse within the Kaurava camp.