Shloka 2
Draupadī’s Lament and Theodicy: Dharma, Dice, and Īśvara’s Governance (Āraṇyaka-parva 31)
नाहं कर्मफलान्वेषी राजपुत्रि चराम्युत । ददामि देयमित्येव यजे यष्टव्यमित्युत,राजकुमारी! मैं कर्मोके फलकी इच्छा रखकर उनका अनुष्ठान नहीं करता; अपितु “देना कर्तव्य है” यह समझकर दान देता हूँ और यज्ञको भी कर्तव्य मानकर ही उसका अनुष्ठान करता हूँ
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | nāhaṃ karmaphalānveṣī rājaputri carāmy uta | dadāmi deyam ity eva yaje yaṣṭavyam ity uta ||
ৰাজকন্যে! মই কৰ্মফলৰ অনুসন্ধান কৰি কৰ্ম নকৰোঁ। ‘দিয়া কৰ্তব্য’ বুলি বুজি দান কৰোঁ, আৰু ‘যজ্ঞ কৰা কৰ্তব্য’ বুলি বুজি যজ্ঞ অনুষ্ঠান কৰোঁ।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches niṣkāma-karma: one should perform righteous acts—such as giving (dāna) and sacrifice (yajña)—because they are duties enjoined by dharma, not as a means to obtain personal reward (karmaphala).
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a princess and explains his ethical stance: he does not act with an eye on outcomes; he gives and performs sacrifices simply because they are to be done as part of righteous conduct.