Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

निर्वाणं नाधिगच्छेयुर्जीवेयु: पशुजीविकाम्‌ | विद्यां ते नैव युज्येयुर्न चार्थ केचिदाप्रुयु:,यदि धर्म निष्फल होता तो धर्मात्मा पुरुष मोक्ष नहीं पाते, कोई विद्याकी प्राप्तिमें नहीं लगते, कोई भी प्रयोजनसिद्धिके लिये प्रयत्न नहीं करते और सभी पशुओंका-सा जीवन व्यतीत करते

Transliteration

nirvāṇaṃ nādhigaccheyur jīveyuḥ paśu-jīvikām | vidyāṃ te naiva yuñjeyur na cārthaṃ kecid āpnuyuḥ |

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “If dharma were fruitless, the righteous would never attain liberation; people would not apply themselves to learning; no one would strive to accomplish any purpose; and all would live a life like that of beasts.”

Word by Word

निर्वाणम्liberation, nirvana

नnot

अधिगच्छेयुःwould attain

जीवेयुःwould live

पशुजीविकाम्an animal-like livelihood

विद्याम्knowledge, learning

तेthey

नnot

एवindeed, at all

युज्येयुःwould engage (themselves), would apply

नnot

चand

अर्थम्purpose, aim, object

केचित्some (people)

आप्नुयुःwould obtain, would accomplish

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes