Shloka 37

Draupadī’s Lament and Theodicy: Dharma, Dice, and Īśvara’s Governance (Āraṇyaka-parva 31)

Devanagari script

रक्ष्याण्येतानि देवानां गूढमाया हि देवता: । कृताशाश्च व्रताशाश्व॒ तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषा: | प्रसादैर्मानसैर्युक्ता: पश्यन्त्येतानि वै द्विजा:,इन सब विषयोंको देवतालोग गुप्त रखते हैं। देवताओंकी माया भी गूढ़ (दुर्बोध) है। जो आशाका परित्याग करके साच्चिक हितकर एवं पवित्र आहार करनेवाले हैं। तपस्यासे जिनके सारे पाप दग्ध हो गये हैं तथा जो मानसिक प्रसन्नतासे युक्त हैं, वे द्विज ही इन देवगुह्म विषयोंको देख पाते हैं

Transliteration

rakṣyāṇy etāni devānāṃ gūḍhamāyā hi devatāḥ | kṛtāśāś ca vratāśāś ca tapasa dagdhakilbiṣāḥ | prasādair mānasair yuktāḥ paśyanty etāni vai dvijāḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Diese Dinge müssen von den Göttern gehütet werden, denn die māyā der Götter ist wahrlich tief und schwer zu ergründen. Nur wer Verlangen und Erwartung aufgegeben hat, wer nach reinen und heilsamen Gelübden lebt, wessen Sünden durch Askese verbrannt sind und wer mit innerer Gelassenheit erfüllt ist — solche zweimalgeborenen Weisen — vermögen diese göttlichen, verborgenen Wahrheiten zu schauen.“

Word by Word

रक्ष्याणिto be kept/guarded (secret)

एतानिthese

देवानाम्of the gods

गूढमायाhaving hidden/inscrutable māyā

हिindeed/for

देवताःthe deities

कृताशाःhaving made (i.e., restrained/renounced) desires/expectations

चand

व्रताशाःwhose expectation is (only) vow/discipline; intent on vows

तपसाby austerity

दग्धकिल्बिषाःwhose sins are burnt up

प्रसादैःby/with serenity (grace, clarity)

मानसैःmental, of the mind

युक्ताःendowed/connected

पश्यन्तिthey see

एतानिthese (things)

वैindeed/verily

द्विजाःthe twice-born (brahmins)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

devāḥ/devatāḥ (the gods)

dvijāḥ (twice-born sages)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Divine realities are subtle and not accessible through curiosity or mere learning; they are perceived by those who cultivate renunciation of craving, disciplined observance, austerity that purifies wrongdoing, and a serene, clarified mind.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira explains that certain divine matters are intentionally concealed because the gods’ māyā is profound; he then states the qualifications of the seers—purified, disciplined, and inwardly tranquil dvijas—who alone can ‘see’ these hidden truths.