Shloka 231

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

Devanagari script

आर्ष प्रमाणमुत्क्रम्य धर्म न प्रतिपालयन्‌ । सर्वशास्त्रातिगो मूढ: शं जन्मसु न विन्दति

Transliteration

ārṣa-pramāṇam utkramya dharmaṁ na pratipālayan | sarva-śāstrātigo mūḍhaḥ śaṁ janmasu na vindati ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “One who oversteps the authoritative standard of the seers and fails to uphold dharma—though he may claim to have gone beyond all śāstras—remains deluded and finds no true well-being across his births.”

Word by Word

• आर्षम्: Vedic/ṛṣi-based
• आर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रमाणम्: authority, standard
• प्रमाणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्क्रम्य: having transgressed/overstepped
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-क्रम्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• प्रतिपालयन्: not observing/maintaining
• प्रतिपालयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-पाल्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वशास्त्रातिगः: one who goes beyond/violates all śāstras
• सर्वशास्त्रातिगः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-शास्त्र-अतिग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मूढः: deluded, foolish
• मूढः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शम्: peace, welfare, happiness
• शम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जन्मसु: in (his) births
• जन्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• विन्दति: finds, attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (विन्दति)
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• ṛṣis (seers)
• dharma
• śāstra