Quest.

 In the Aranyaka Parva (Vana Parva) of the Mahābhārata, there is a poignant episode where Draupadi questions Yudhishthira about the injustice of life, especially the apparent prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the virtuous.

This scene takes place during the Pandavas' exile in the forest. Draupadi, deeply aggrieved by their humiliations—especially the dice game and her own public insult—speaks her mind, unable to accept Yudhishthira's quiet forbearance and commitment to dharma.

Draupadi asks Yudhishthira:

“Why do the wicked flourish, while the virtuous suffer?

Why are you, the righteous king, suffering in the forest, while Duryodhana, who has broken dharma, enjoys the kingdom?

Why do you cling to dharma, when it seems dharma has abandoned you?”

She even questions:

“What use is virtue if it leads only to humiliation and loss? Should not power be seized when injustice prevails?”

Yudhishthira’s Response:

Yudhishthira answers with calmness, reinforcing his unwavering faith in dharma (righteousness):

 "Dharma is very subtle and not always immediately visible in its fruits."

 "What we face is not just the result of present actions but of past karma. The wicked may enjoy briefly, but they are already sowing their downfall."

 "Time governs the rise and fall of all. Even Duryodhana’s seeming victory is only temporary."

 "The world does not run because of weapons or wealth, but because virtuous people continue to uphold it even in suffering."

"We will fight, but when the time is right. Our patience is not weakness, it is preparation."

This exchange is one of the most philosophically intense in the Mahābhārata. It reflects the inner turmoil of the human spirit, torn between:

the ideal of righteousness, and

the reality of suffering in an unjust world.

Draupadi embodies the voice of justified outrage, while Yudhishthira stands for stoic endurance and faith in divine justice.

“He who suffers in silence despite injustice, and yet does not forsake virtue—

shines like the sun through clouds, when the time comes.”

 “Even when dharma yields no fruit in sight, abandon it not—

for dharma abandoned, will abandon you when you need it most.”