Shloka 8
Draupadī’s Rebuke of Jayadratha and Dhaumya’s Admonition (Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 252)
प्रसीद मा त्यजात्मान तुष्टश्न सुकृतं समर । प्रयच्छ राज्यं पार्थानां यशो धर्ममवाप्रुहि,अतः मनमें प्रसन्नता लाओ। शरीरका त्याग न करो। पाण्डवोंने तुम्हारे साथ जो सद्व्यवहार किया है उसे स्मरण करो और संतुष्ट होकर उनका राज्य उन्हें लौटा दो। ऐसा करके यश और धर्मके भागी बनो
vaiśampāyana uvāca | prasīda mā tyajātmānaṁ tuṣṭaś ca sukṛtaṁ smara | prayaccha rājyaṁ pārthānāṁ yaśo dharmam avāpnuhi ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Be calm; do not abandon yourself (do not give up your life). Remember the good deeds and honorable conduct shown to you, and be content. Restore the kingdom to the Pārthas; by doing so you will attain both lasting fame and the merit of dharma.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse urges restraint and moral repair: do not fall into despair or self-destruction, but remember past goodwill and choose the dharmic path—restoring what is rightfully owed—thereby gaining both ethical merit (dharma) and honorable reputation (yaśas).
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a counsel is being delivered to a ruler or decision-maker who is distressed or inclined toward ruinous action. The speaker advises him to calm down, recall the Pāṇḍavas’ virtuous conduct, and return their kingdom, framing this restitution as the path to dharma and lasting fame.