Mahabharata 3.33.4 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 33, Shloka 4

अध्याय ३३ — कर्म, दैव, हठ, स्वभाव और पुरुषार्थ पर द्रौपदी का उपदेश

Draupadī on Action, Fate, and Human Effort

Devanagari script

गोमायुनेव सिंहानां दुर्बलेन बलीयसाम्‌ । आमिषं विघसाशेन तद्वद्‌ राज्यं हि नो हृतम्‌

Transliteration

gomāyunā iva siṁhānāṁ durbalena balīyasām | āmiṣaṁ vighasāśena tadvat rājyaṁ hi no hṛtam ||

Translation

যেন উচ্ছিষ্টভোজী দুৰ্বল শিয়ালে মহাবলৱান সিংহৰ আহাৰো কেঢ়ি লয়, তেনেকৈয়ে শত্রুৱে আমাৰ ৰাজ্য হৰণ কৰিছে।

Word by Word

• गोमायुना: by a jackal
• गोमायुना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमायु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• इव: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• सिंहानाम्: of lions
• सिंहानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• दुर्बलेन: by a weak (one)
• दुर्बलेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्बल
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• बलीयसाम्: of the stronger (ones)
• बलीयसाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन् (comparative: बलीयस्)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• आमिषम्: meat; prey; food
• आमिषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमिष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विघसाशेन: by one who eats leftovers (a scavenger)
• विघसाशेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघसाश
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तद्वत्: so; in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत्

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• हृतम्: taken away; stolen
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (√हृ)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• gomāyu (jackal)
• siṁha (lions)
• rājya (kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical reversal: when dharma is eclipsed, the unworthy can dispossess the worthy through cunning and opportunism. It condemns illegitimate seizure of power and evokes the pain of rightful rulers being deprived.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana uses a vivid simile— a weak jackal taking the lions’ meat— to describe how the enemies have taken ‘our kingdom,’ emphasizing the humiliating and unjust nature of the usurpation.