Shloka 27

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

Devanagari script

अबुद्धिमश्रितानां तु क्षन्तव्यमपराधिनाम्‌ | न हि सर्वत्र पाण्डित्यं सुलभं पुरुषेण वै,जिन्होंने अनजानमें अपराध कर डाला हो, उनका वह अपराध क्षमाके ही योग्य है; क्योंकि किसी भी पुरुषके लिये सर्वत्र विद्वत्ता (बुद्धिमानी) ही सुलभ हो, यह सम्भव नहीं है

Transliteration

abuddhim āśritānāṃ tu kṣantavyam aparādhinām | na hi sarvatra pāṇḍityaṃ sulabhaṃ puruṣeṇa vai ||

Translation

プラフラーダは言った。「無知ゆえに過ちを犯した者は、たとえ罪があっても赦されるべきである。人は誰しも、あらゆる場面・あらゆる時に、学識と賢明な分別を備えることはできぬのだから。」

Word by Word

अबुद्धिम्lack of understanding/ignorance

आश्रितानाम्of those who have resorted to/are dependent on

तुbut/indeed

क्षन्तव्यम्to be forgiven/forgivable

अपराधिनाम्of offenders/those who have committed a fault

नnot

हिfor/indeed

सर्वत्रeverywhere/in all matters

पाण्डित्यम्learning/erudition

सुलभम्easily obtainable

पुरुषेणby a man/by a person

वैindeed/truly

Speaker

प्रह्माद उवाच

Characters & Entities

प

प्रह्माद (Prahlāda)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches kṣamā (forbearance/forgiveness): when wrongdoing arises from ignorance or lack of discernment, it should be pardoned, because complete wisdom is not always available to any human being in every context.

What is happening in the narrative?

Prahlāda is speaking in a didactic mode, offering a moral principle for conduct: do not be harsh toward those who err unintentionally; recognize human limitations and respond with forgiveness rather than retaliation.