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Shloka 3

अध्याय ३३ — कर्म, दैव, हठ, स्वभाव और पुरुषार्थ पर द्रौपदी का उपदेश

Draupadī on Action, Fate, and Human Effort

नैव धर्मेण तद्‌ राज्यं नार्जवेन न चौजसा | अक्षकूटमधिष्ठाय हतं दुर्योधनेन वै,“दुर्योधनने धर्मसे, सरलतासे और बलसे भी हमारे राज्यको नहीं लिया है; उसने तो कपटपूर्ण जूएका आश्रय लेकर उसका हरण कर लिया है

naiva dharmeṇa tad rājyaṃ nārjavena na caujasā | akṣakūṭam adhiṣṭhāya hataṃ duryodhanena vai ||

「あの王国は、ダルマによって奪われたのでも、正直さによってでも、力によってでもない。ドゥルヨーダナは欺きの骰子の勝負に寄りかかって奪い取ったのだ。あの曲がった仕掛けによって、我らから王国を強奪したのだ。」

nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
evaindeed/just
eva:
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva
dharmeṇaby righteousness/lawful means
dharmeṇa:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootdharma
Formmasculine, instrumental, singular
tatthat
tat:
Karma
TypePronoun
Roottad
Formneuter, accusative, singular
rājyamkingdom
rājyam:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootrājya
Formneuter, accusative, singular
nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
ārjavenaby straightforwardness/honesty
ārjavena:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootārjava
Formneuter, instrumental, singular
nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
caand
ca:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca
ojasāby strength/force
ojasā:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootojas
Formneuter, instrumental, singular
akṣa-kūṭamdice-fraud; loaded dice/cheating at dice
akṣa-kūṭam:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootakṣa-kūṭa
Formneuter, accusative, singular
adhiṣṭhāyahaving resorted to/using as support
adhiṣṭhāya:
TypeVerb
Rootadhi-√sthā
Formabsolutive (gerund), parasmaipada (usage)
hatamtaken away/struck down (here: seized/robbed)
hatam:
TypeVerb
Root√han
Formpast passive participle, neuter, nominative/accusative, singular
duryodhanenaby Duryodhana
duryodhanena:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootduryodhana
Formmasculine, instrumental, singular
vaiindeed/surely
vai:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvai

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśaṃpāyana
D
Duryodhana
K
kingdom (rājya)
D
dice/game of dice (akṣa)

Educational Q&A

The verse contrasts legitimate acquisition of power—through dharma, honesty, or strength—with illegitimate gain through fraud. It frames the loss of the kingdom as an ethical violation: sovereignty obtained by deceit (especially gambling trickery) lacks moral legitimacy and becomes a seed of later conflict.

The speaker recalls how the kingdom was taken: not by open contest or righteous claim, but through a rigged dice game. Duryodhana is identified as the agent who, relying on a deceptive dice-plot, deprived the rightful holders of their rule.