Krishna Explains to Draupadi Why He Came Late

After the horrific events in Hastinapura's court, Draupadi met Krishna. Her eyes were red with tears and anger.

Draupadi: "Govinda, where were you? I called and called. Dushasana was dragging my saree, and you didn't come. Why? Why did you come so late?"

Krishna: "Sakhi, I came the moment you truly called me."

Draupadi: "What do you mean? I was screaming your name from the beginning!"

Krishna: "Were you? Think carefully. When Dushasana first grabbed your saree, what did you do?"

Draupadi: "I... I held onto it. I tried to stop him with my own strength."

Draupadi: "And then?"

Krishna: "I looked at my husbands. I expected Bhima to leap up. I expected Arjuna to string his bow."

Krishna: "And then?"

Draupadi: "I looked at the elders — Bhishma, Drona. I thought surely they would speak."

Draupadi: "So first you trusted your own strength. Then your husbands. Then the elders. And all this time, you held onto your saree with one hand while calling me with the other. Tell me, Draupadi — if you are holding on, how can I hold you?"

Krishna: "I... I didn't realize..."

Draupadi: "When you truly surrendered — when you raised BOTH hands, let go of everything, and called me not as Dwarkadhish who lives far away, but as Hridayanath who lives within your heart — did I not come instantly? The saree that Dushasana pulled became infinite. He collapsed in exhaustion, but you stood clothed in divine grace."

Draupadi: "So you were waiting..."

Draupadi: ""I am always waiting, Sakhi. I am closer than your own breath. But I cannot help those who have not truly surrendered. Your one hand holding the saree was your ego saying 'I can manage.' Your one hand on me was your fear saying 'But also help me just in case.' That is not surrender. That is bargaining."

Surrender means letting go completely. It means saying: 'I have nothing. I can do nothing. I am nothing. You are everything.' The moment you did that — truly did that — mountains of cloth flowed to protect you."

Draupadi: "Then why do we hold on at all?"

Krishna: "Because you are human. And being human means learning, again and again, that the hands that hold onto the world will always be empty, and the hands that reach for the Divine will always be full."