Shloka 7

Draupadī’s Exhortation on Rājadharma and Daṇḍa (द्रौपद्याः राजधर्मोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

4 नन्दयैतान्‌ महाराज मत्तानिव महाद्विपान्‌ | उपपन्नेन वाक्येन सततं दुःखभागिन:

Transliteration

nandayaitān mahārāja mattān iva mahādvipān | upapannena vākyena satataṁ duḥkhabhāginaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, these your kinsmen—ever made to bear sorrow for your sake—are like great elephants driven into frenzy. Now gladden them with words that are well-reasoned, fitting, and timely.”

Word by Word

• नन्दय: gladden, make happy
• Type: Verb
• Root: नन्दय (णिच्) < नन्द्
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपदम्

• एतान्: these (persons)
• एतान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• मत्तान्: intoxicated, frenzied
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्त
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

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

• महाद्विपान्: great elephants
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाद्विप
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• उपपन्नेन: appropriate, well-reasoned
• उपपन्नेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपपन्न
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• वाक्येन: by (your) words/speech
• वाक्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• सततम्: always, continually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम्

• दुःखभागिनः: sharers of sorrow, suffering
• दुःखभागिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखभागिन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mahārāja (the king addressed)
• bandhu (kinsmen/relatives)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should use well-grounded, appropriate speech to console and uplift those who have long endured suffering on his account; ethical leadership includes compassionate communication and timely reassurance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses the king, urging him to comfort his distressed relatives—likened to powerful, agitated elephants—by speaking to them with reasoned and fitting words, shifting the mood from grief and agitation toward calm and joy.