Shloka 23

अध्याय ३० — क्रोधदोषाः क्षमाप्रशंसा च

Defects of Anger and the Praise of Forbearance

Devanagari script

यथा दारुमयी योषा नरवीर समाहिता । ईरयत्यड्रमजड्भानि तथा राजन्नरिमा: प्रजा:,नरवीर नरेश! जैसे कठपुतली सूत्रधारसे प्रेरित हो अपने अंगोंका संचालन करती है, उसी प्रकार यह सारी प्रजा ईश्वरकी प्रेरणासे अपने हस्त-पाद आदि अंगोंद्वारा विविध चेष्टाएँ करती हैं

Transliteration

yathā dārumayī yoṣā naravīra samāhitā | īrayaty aṅgam ajñāni tathā rājann arimāḥ prajāḥ ||

Translation

قال يودهيشثيرا: «يا ملكَ الأبطال! كما أن امرأةً من خشب—دميةً—إذا حرّكها مُحرِّكُ الدمى تحرّكت أطرافُها التي لا تعقل، كذلك هذه الرعية، عدوًّا كانت أم صديقًا، لا تعمل بأيديها وأقدامها وسائر أعضائها إلا بما يدفعها إليه الربّ.»

Word by Word

यथाjust as

दारुमयीmade of wood

योषाwoman (doll/puppet figure)

नरवीरO hero among men

समाहिताset/controlled, directed

ईरयतिmoves/sets in motion

अङ्गम्limb

अजड्भानिthe non-sentient ones (i.e., inert limbs)

तथाso, in the same way

राजन्O king

अरिमाःenemies

प्रजाःsubjects, people

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

king (addressed as rājan)

puppet/wooden woman (dārumayī yoṣā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Human actions are compared to a puppet’s movements: outward activity occurs through the senses and limbs, but the deeper impulse is governed by a higher power. The ethical takeaway is to reduce ego, harsh blame, and pride, cultivating humility and self-restraint in judging others’ actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king/hero and uses a vivid metaphor of a wooden puppet moved by a controller to explain how people’s varied actions arise under divine prompting, framing a reflective discussion on responsibility, governance, and moral perspective.