Shloka 2

अध्याय ३३ — कर्म, दैव, हठ, स्वभाव और पुरुषार्थ पर द्रौपदी का उपदेश

Draupadī on Action, Fate, and Human Effort

Devanagari script

राज्यस्य पदवीं धर्म्या ब्रज सत्पुरुषोचिताम्‌ | धर्मकामार्थहीनानां कि नो वस्तुं तपोवने,“महाराज! श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंके लिये उचित और धर्मके अनुकूल जो राज्य-प्राप्तिका मार्ग (उपाय) हो, उसका आश्रय लीजिये। धर्म, अर्थ और काम--इन तीनोंसे वंचित होकर इस तपोवनमें निवास करनेपर हमारा कौन-सा प्रयोजन सिद्ध होगा

Transliteration

rājyasya padavīṁ dharmyāṁ vraja satpuruṣocitām | dharmakāmārthahīnānāṁ ki no vastuṁ tapovane ||

Translation

“O King, take up that righteous course by which sovereignty may be regained—a path befitting the noble. For if we remain in this forest of austerities while deprived of dharma, artha, and kāma, what purpose will our dwelling here accomplish?”

Word by Word

• {'rājyasya': 'of the kingdom

• of sovereignty', 'padavīm': 'path, course, means

• also ‘station/position’', 'dharmyām': 'righteous, in accordance with dharma', 'vraja': 'go

• resort to', 'satpuruṣa-ucitām': 'befitting a good/noble person', 'dharma': 'righteous duty

• law', 'kāma': 'desire

• pleasure', 'artha': 'wealth

• polity', 'hīnānām': 'of those deprived/lacking', 'kim': 'what?', 'naḥ': 'for us

• our', 'vastum': 'to dwell

• dwelling', 'tapovane': 'in the grove/forest of austerity

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mahārāja (the king, addressed)
• rājya (kingdom)
• tapovana (forest of austerities)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse argues that a noble person—especially a king—should pursue a dharmic means to restore rightful sovereignty, because life in austerity is not meaningful if it results in the loss or negation of the three human aims (dharma, artha, kāma).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the context of the forest-exile discussions, the speaker urges the addressed king to adopt a righteous strategy for regaining the kingdom, questioning the value of continued residence in the ascetic forest when it leaves them bereft of the normal aims of life.