Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

प्रह्माद उवाच न श्रेय: सततं तेजो न नित्य॑ं श्रेयसी क्षमा | इति तात विजानीहि द्वयमेतदसंशयम्‌,प्रह्नाद बोले--तात! न तो तेज ही सदा श्रेष्ठ है और न क्षमा ही। इन दोनोंके विषयमें मेरा ऐसा ही निश्चय जानो, इसमें संशय नहीं है

Transliteration

prahmāda uvāca | na śreyaḥ satataṃ tejo na nityaṃ śreyasī kṣamā | iti tāta vijānīhi dvayam etad asaṃśayam ||

Translation

プラフラーダは言った。「わが子よ、ただ輝く力や威勢が、常に最高の善とは限らぬ。忍耐もまた、常に勝れた道とは限らぬ。よく心得よ――この二つ、すなわち力と忍耐には、あらゆる場に通ずる唯一の規則はないのだ。」

Word by Word

प्रह्लादःPrahlāda

उवाचsaid

नnot

श्रेयःthe better (good), welfare

सततम्always, constantly

तेजःsplendor, power, severity

नnor/not

नित्यम्always, invariably

श्रेयसीbetter, more beneficial

क्षमाforbearance, forgiveness

इतिthus

तातdear one/son (address)

विजानीहिknow, understand

द्वयम्a pair, twofold set

एतत्this

असंशयम्without doubt, certainly

Speaker

प्रह्माद उवाच

Characters & Entities

प

प्रह्माद (Prahmāda)

त

तात (tāta—addressed person, unnamed)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches situational discernment in dharma: neither force/authority (tejas) nor forgiveness/patience (kṣamā) is universally the best. One must judge context and choose the appropriate response rather than clinging to a single virtue as absolute.

What is happening in the narrative?

Prahmāda addresses a younger listener (“tāta”), offering counsel on conduct. He frames a moral principle: the right course alternates between firmness and forbearance depending on circumstances, and he states this as a settled conviction.