Shloka 30
Draupadī’s Lament and Theodicy: Dharma, Dice, and Īśvara’s Governance (Āraṇyaka-parva 31)
फलदं चल्विह विज्ञाय धातारं श्रेयसि ध्रुवम् धर्म ते व्यचरन् कृष्णे तद्धि श्रेय: सनातनम्,कृष्णे! यहाँ धर्मका फल देनेवाले ईश्वर अवश्य हैं, यह बात जानकर ही उन ऋषि आदिकोंने धर्मका आचरण किया है। धर्म ही सनातन श्रेय है
phaladaṃ khalv iha vijñāya dhātāraṃ śreyasi dhruvam | dharmaṃ te vyacaran kṛṣṇe tad dhi śreyaḥ sanātanam ||
O Kṛṣṇā, knowing for certain that the Creator here is indeed the steadfast giver of the fruit of actions—especially in what leads to the highest good—those sages and elders practiced dharma. For dharma alone is the eternal path of true welfare.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is the eternal path of true welfare (śreyas). The sages practiced dharma because they were convinced that an ordaining divine principle (Dhātā/Īśvara) reliably dispenses the fruits of actions; therefore righteous conduct is never ultimately wasted.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Draupadī (called Kṛṣṇā), affirming that the tradition of sages rests on confidence in a moral order: God/Providence gives the results of deeds. He uses this to justify steadfast adherence to dharma even amid suffering and uncertainty.