Shloka 60
अध्याय ३३ — कर्म, दैव, हठ, स्वभाव और पुरुषार्थ पर द्रौपदी का उपदेश
Draupadī on Action, Fate, and Human Effort
भ्रातर: पूर्वजाताश्न सुसमद्धा श्व सर्वश: । निकृत्या निर्जिता देवैरसुरा: पार्थिवर्षभ,“नृपश्रेष्ठ आप जानते हैं कि असुरगण देवताओंके बड़े भाई हैं, उनसे पहले उत्पन्न हुए हैं और सब प्रकारसे समृद्धिशाली हैं तो भी देवताओंने छलसे उन्हें जीत लिया
bhrātaraḥ pūrvajātāś ca susamṛddhāś ca sarvaśaḥ | nikṛtyā nirjitā devair asurāḥ pārthivarṣabha ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O bull among kings, the Asuras are indeed the elder brothers—born before the Devas and prosperous in every way. Yet the Devas overcame them by nikṛti, by stratagem and deceit.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical tension: victory and legitimacy are not always aligned. Even those regarded as ‘Devas’ may resort to nikṛti (deceit/stratagem) to win, prompting reflection on whether ends justify means and how dharma is tested in contests for power.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a king, reminding him of a well-known cosmic precedent: although the Asuras were elder-born and materially strong, the Devas defeated them through stratagem. The statement functions as an illustrative example within the ongoing discourse of the Vana Parva.