Draupadi, though pacified by the learned reasoning of Dharmaja, found her mind kindling with many more questions. For unless such queries were met, the depth of their spiritual understanding could not be known to the outer world. Indeed, upon scrutiny, their exchange stood as a brilliant discourse on ancient wisdom and the pronouncements of sacred texts.
With fervent emotion, she said, “An error made once may find forgiveness, but when wrongdoing grows into habit, when blunders become the order of conduct, how can pardon be deserved? The sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra have made vice their creed. O son of Dharma, this is the time to let your brilliance shine forth. Rise in righteous anger, and let your brothers—whose might and skill are unparalleled—vanquish the wicked Kauravas!”
Then Yudhishthira, serene as ever, replied, “Anger, O noble lady, is a great sin. It devours merit, wealth, and desire alike. The man consumed by wrath first forgets his duty, then defames his teachers, and finally, blinded by passion, slays the innocent without discernment. Some, in despair, destroy even themselves. One guided by virtue, as I am, is never bound by anger. The wise, with the knowledge of water, quench the fire of wrath. Freed from its dark robe, a man perceives the boundaries of time and strengthens his brilliance. He who equals Mother Earth in endurance walks ever with success. The shield of forgiveness guards the soul and grants desired results. Impatience, kindness, courage, and swiftness—these four qualities, born of brilliance, sustain the tolerant and evolve into strength, as declared in the Kāśyapa Gītā. The Vedas, yajñas, truth, purity, learning—all creation itself—rests upon tolerance.
The truly wise, the ascetics, and the Vedic scholars who perform sacrifices reach the supreme state only through endurance. Vyāsa, Vidura, Bhīṣma, Kṛpa, Droṇa, and Sañjaya—all the virtuous—have praised this quality in me. The single vice of intolerance in Duryodhana will consume the progeny of Dhṛtarāṣṭra as wildfire consumes dry grass.”
Then Draupadī said, “O king, enemy of none, with thoughts and deeds pure, you walk the path of righteousness. Your virtue will indeed protect you. Yet tell me, is it wise or faulty to treat enemies as equals? Though my words may sound harsh, they only seek to unveil the core of your dharma—how you became one without enmity in thought, word, and deed. O lord, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra are ever clothed in the robes of vice and deceit. How can your virtue affect such as them? The wicked deserve to meet the fruit of their own seed. O Creator, why do you raise the unworthy and cast down the worthy? Why favour the vile and burden the noble? It seems the undeserving are your kin and the deserving your foes.”
To this, Dharmaja, with calm conviction, answered, “Why accuse the Creator, as though you were one without faith? The conduct of the virtuous is the very footstep of dharma. If such dharma is condemned, no atonement exists. The radiance of righteousness is eternal. Maitrēya, Mārkaṇḍeya, Vyāsa, Vasiṣṭha, and Nārada—all have placed me among the foremost in virtue. Their way of life is my path, their truth my standard. Why, then, should I mirror the conduct of others, when my nature is my own?”
The discussion, though sharp, did not show Draupadī as an unbeliever. She only sought clarity, while Yudhishthira, revealing his soul, proved that he was no denier of faith but a follower of the divine law. He continued, “If penance, Vedic recitation, celibacy, charity, and sacrifice bore no fruit, why would sages, gods, and kings pursue them? Your birth and that of Drupada’s son are themselves the results of virtuous deeds. Even so, sin too bears its fruit. In ancient times, Brahmā taught his sons the doctrine of karma. By virtuous pursuit, Kaśyapa attained divine grace. The fruits of both good and evil are determined by the Creator. By His grace, both gods and demons achieved immortality through penance.”
Then Draupadī spoke again: “O son of Dharma, I know the depths of dharma. Those who reject virtue find no place in the higher worlds. I have heard the discourses of great sages with my father. For the wise, it is duty to act, for man cannot live without action. Even if results seem small, human effort must never cease. The fruit of karma rests upon two pillars—divine grace and human exertion. First, a man must fix his goal, then strive with enthusiasm and firmness. To such, God grants success. The oil lies hidden in the seed, the fire in the wood—but only the earnest bring them forth. He who merely sits in faith without effort gains nothing. The farmer who tills his field and sows his seed reaps the harvest only when the rains come; yet he must still plough, whether rain or not. The result of every act is shared between divine will and human endeavour. Thus, enthusiasm is the portico to divine grace. He who depends solely upon fate and renounces effort loses both. Therefore, fix your goal, inspire your brothers, and act to conquer the foe.”
Then Bhīma, his heart burning, cried aloud, “This kingdom we inherited from our forefathers. Arjuna’s arms protected it from every threat, even Indra dared not intrude. Yet you, in your righteousness, handed it to evil men and chose exile in forests. Like a lion’s prey stolen by a jackal, our kingdom lies with Duryodhana! Can the wicked ever be conquered by righteousness alone? Crush them, O Dharmaja, for their conduct defies all dharma. Among the four goals of life, prosperity sustains the others. Without it, even kin suffer. Your chants of peace please the enemy but weaken us. You are the light of the Kuru race—why dwell silent like the helpless? Had we acted earlier, we would not now wander among beasts. The Kauravas mistake our patience for fear.
If we forsake our art of war, what remains of us? Is it right to cling to one goal of life and forsake the rest? When dharma alone governs, wealth and desire depart, and life itself becomes hollow. Prosperity ignored is peril; he who rejects virtue for wealth is cunning and doomed; he who seeks wealth alone is like a shepherd lost in the desert; he who ignores all three for desire sinks into ruin. Virtue and wealth sustain one another like the ocean and the clouds—the ocean feeds the cloud, the cloud returns its rain. He who fulfils all three—dharma, artha, and kāma—is whole. Your pursuit of virtue alone unsettles your kin and grieves your well-wishers. Charity, sacrifice, and worship—all require wealth; none can be done without prosperity. The order of the world, the conduct of men, the practice of merit—none exist apart from it. But the path bereft of prosperity ill suits a kṣatriya.
The king’s foremost duty is to subdue foes, protect the earth, reward the worthy, and honour the wise. Only through might may righteousness flourish. The gods themselves, in the churning of the ocean, used craft to overcome the demons and gain ambrosia. So too may we meet deceit with equal wit. The noble kings of Śṛñjaya, Kekaya, Yadu, and Pañchāla stand ready beside you. Time, people, wealth, and will—when united, they halt every hindrance. Even the mighty fall before a swarm of bees. The kingdom of Duryodhana is polluted, like pure milk stored in the skin of a dog. The people—villagers, scholars, and Brahmins—all yearn for your rule. Why delay? Gather your arms and storm Hastināpura! The finest quality of a kṣatriya is courage. Let this hour be the dawn of valour. The wicked grove of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons shall be cut down by the gale of Arjuna’s Gandīva. Fear not their wealth or numbers; my mace shall silence them all. Conquer, O king, and reign over the earth girdled by four oceans. Rule justly, bestow gifts, perform sacrifices, and shine like the moon emerging from clouds.”
Thus did each voice rise in counsel—diverse in reason yet one in aim: to overcome adversity, to uphold their vows, to win back justice, and to strengthen righteousness by both effort and divine grace. The Mahābhārata in its splendour embraces every logic, reconciles every creed, and yet, like the steady flame of Dharmaja’s heart, abides ever by the ultimate law of dharma.
