Shloka 30

अध्याय ८ — शल्यस्य सत्कारः, वरदानं, पाण्डवसमागमश्च (Śalya’s Reception, the Boon, and Meeting the Pāṇḍavas)

Devanagari script

सुदुष्करं कृतं राजन्‌ निर्जने वसता त्वया । भ्रातृभि: सह राजेन्द्र कृष्णया चानया सह,“राजन! तुमने अपने भाइयों तथा इस द्रुपदकुमारी कृष्णाके साथ निर्जन वनमें निवास करके अत्यन्त दुष्कर कार्य किया है

Transliteration

suduṣkaraṃ kṛtaṃ rājan nirjane vasatā tvayā | bhrātṛbhiḥ saha rājendra kṛṣṇayā cānayā saha ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O König, du hast etwas überaus Schweres vollbracht: in einsamer Wildnis zu leben. O Bester unter den Königen, zusammen mit deinen Brüdern und mit dieser Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) hast du die Härte des Exils ertragen—eine Tat, die Standhaftigkeit, Selbstbeherrschung und Treue zur Pflicht (Dharma) trotz Leid bezeugt.“

Word by Word

सुदुष्करम्very difficult (thing)

कृतम्done, accomplished

राजन्O king

निर्जनेin a solitary (place)

वसताby (you) dwelling

त्वयाby you

भ्रातृभिःwith (your) brothers

सहtogether with

राजेन्द्रO lord of kings

कृष्णयाwith Krishna (Draupadi)

चand

अनयाwith this (woman)

सहtogether with

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Pāṇḍava brothers

Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

forest/wilderness (nirjana)

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?

The verse praises steadfast endurance of hardship undertaken for the sake of duty: true nobility is shown not only in power but in disciplined perseverance—remaining committed to dharma even when life becomes lonely, austere, and painful.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) and commends him for having lived in the wilderness with his brothers and Draupadī, emphasizing how difficult the exile was and acknowledging the moral strength required to bear it.