Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

तस्मै प्रोवाच तत्‌ सर्वमेवं पृष्ट: पितामह: । सर्वनिश्चयवित्‌ प्राज्ञ: संशयं परिपृच्छते,बलिके इस प्रकार पूछनेपर समस्त सिद्धान्तोंके ज्ञाता विद्वान्‌ पितामह प्रह्नादने संदेह निवारण करनेके लिये पूछनेवाले पौत्रके प्रति इस प्रकार कहा

Transliteration

tasmai provāca tat sarvam evaṁ pṛṣṭaḥ pitāmahaḥ | sarvaniścayavit prājñaḥ saṁśayaṁ paripṛcchate ||

Translation

かく問われるや、祖父尊者—賢明にして定まれる結論をことごとく知り尽くす者—は、すべてを余すところなく語った。問う者の疑いを見て取り、その不確かさを払い、事を確かな理解の上に据えるために言葉を発した。

Word by Word

• {'tasmai': 'to him

• for him (dative singular)', 'provāca': 'said

• declared (perfect of √vac, ‘to speak’)', 'tat sarvam': 'all that

• the whole matter', 'evaṁ': 'thus

• in this manner', 'pṛṣṭaḥ': 'having been asked

• questioned', 'pitāmahaḥ': 'the Grandsire

• an elder patriarch (here: Prahlāda as the elder in the dialogue)', 'sarva-niścaya-vit': 'knower of all settled conclusions

• one who knows final determinations', 'prājñaḥ': 'wise

• discerning', 'saṁśayam': 'doubt

• uncertainty', 'paripṛcchate': 'of the one who asks closely

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pitāmaha (Prahlāda)
• the questioner (grandson/inquirer)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A qualified elder (pitāmaha), described as wise and knowing settled conclusions, should respond to sincere inquiry by removing doubt and presenting the matter clearly and completely—an ethical model of instruction grounded in discernment and certainty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that, after being questioned, the Grandsire (Prahlāda in this dialogue) begins his reply, addressing the inquirer’s uncertainty and proceeding to explain the subject in full.