Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

एत एवंविधा: काला: क्षमाया: परिकीर्तिता: । अतोन्‍्यथानुवर्तत्सु तेजस: काल उच्यते,इस प्रकार ये क्षमाके अवसर बताये गये हैं। इनके विपरीत बर्ताव करनेवालोंको राहपर लानेके लिये तेज (उत्तेजनापूर्ण बर्ताव)-का अवसर कहा गया है

Transliteration

eta evaṃvidhāḥ kālāḥ kṣamāyāḥ parikīrtitāḥ | ato 'nyathānuvartatsu tejasāḥ kāla ucyate ||

Translation

ಇಂತಹ ವಿಧದ ಕಾಲಗಳೇ ಕ್ಷಮೆಗೆ ಯೋಗ್ಯವೆಂದು ಹೇಳಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿವೆ. ಆದರೆ ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ವಿರುದ್ಧವಾಗಿ ನಡೆದು ತಪ್ಪುಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲೇ ಹಠ ಹಿಡಿಯುವವರನ್ನು ಸನ್ಮಾರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ ತರುವುದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ‘ತೇಜಸ್’—ದೃಢ, ತಿದ್ದುವ ಕಠೋರತೆ—ಯ ಕಾಲವೆಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾರೆ।

Word by Word

एतत्this

एवम्thus

विधाःkinds, types

कालाःtimes, occasions

क्षमायाःof forgiveness/forbearance

परिकीर्तिताःhave been proclaimed/described

अतःtherefore, hence

अन्यथाotherwise, contrariwise

अनुवर्तत्सुin/among those who follow (a course); in those behaving accordingly

तेजसःof severity/energy (tejas)

कालःthe time/occasion

उच्यतेis said/called

Speaker

प्रह्माद उवाच

Characters & Entities

प

प्रह्माद (Prahmāda/Prāhmāda) (speaker)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma requires discernment of time and context: patience and forgiveness are virtues at the right moments, but when wrongdoing persists, firm corrective energy (tejas) becomes appropriate to restore people to the proper path.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker concludes a discussion on when forbearance is fitting, then contrasts it with situations where leniency fails—stating that for those who act contrary and continue in misconduct, the appropriate response is stern, reform-oriented discipline.