Shloka 25

Draupadī’s Lament and the Question of Kṣatriya Forbearance (द्रौपद्याः शोकप्रलापः क्षमानिर्णयश्च)

Devanagari script

क्षमाकालांस्तु वक्ष्यामि शूणु मे विस्तरेण तान्‌ ये ते नित्यमसंत्याज्या यथा प्राहुर्मनीषिण:,अब मैं तुम्हें क्षमाके योग्य अवसर बताता हूँ, उन्हें विस्तारपूर्वक सुनो, जैसा कि मनीषी पुरुष कहते हैं, उन अवसरोंका तुम्हें कभी त्याग नहीं करना चाहिये

Transliteration

kṣamākālāṃs tu vakṣyāmi śṛṇu me vistareṇa tān | ye te nityam asaṃtyājyā yathā prāhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

プラフラーダは言った。「これより、赦しにふさわしい折々を汝に説き明かそう。詳しく聞くがよい。賢者たちが宣したとおり、これらの機会は決して捨て去ってはならぬ。」

Word by Word

क्षमाकालान्occasions/times for forgiveness

तुbut/indeed

वक्ष्यामिI shall tell

शृणुhear/listen

मेof me / my

विस्तरेणin detail / with elaboration

तान्those (them)

येwhich (those who/that which)

तेthose (for you/your) / they

नित्यम्always

असन्त्याज्याःnot to be abandoned

यथाas / just as

प्राहुःthey have said / they say

मनीषिणःthe wise (sages)

Speaker

प्रह्माद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Prahlāda

manīṣiṇaḥ (the wise/sages)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Forgiveness (kṣamā) is not merely a personal preference but a dharmic discipline: there are specific situations where one should consistently choose forbearance, as affirmed by the wise.

What is happening in the narrative?

Prahlāda begins a didactic section, announcing that he will enumerate and explain—at length—the proper occasions for practicing forgiveness, presenting it as an authoritative teaching grounded in the counsel of sages.