Shloka 23

अध्याय ३० — क्रोधदोषाः क्षमाप्रशंसा च

Defects of Anger and the Praise of Forbearance

Devanagari script

यथा दारुमयी योषा नरवीर समाहिता । ईरयत्यड्रमजड्भानि तथा राजन्नरिमा: प्रजा:,नरवीर नरेश! जैसे कठपुतली सूत्रधारसे प्रेरित हो अपने अंगोंका संचालन करती है, उसी प्रकार यह सारी प्रजा ईश्वरकी प्रेरणासे अपने हस्त-पाद आदि अंगोंद्वारा विविध चेष्टाएँ करती हैं

Transliteration

yathā dārumayī yoṣā naravīra samāhitā | īrayaty aṅgam ajñāni tathā rājann arimāḥ prajāḥ ||

Translation

ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—“ನರವೀರ ನರೆಶ! ಸೂತ್ರಧಾರನ ಪ್ರೇರಣೆಯಿಂದ ಮರದ ಗೊಂಬೆ ತನ್ನ ಜಡ ಅಂಗಗಳನ್ನು ಚಲಿಸುವಂತೆ, ರಾಜನೇ, ಈ ಪ್ರಜೆಗಳೂ ಈಶ್ವರನ ಪ್ರೇರಣೆಯಿಂದ ಕೈ-ಕಾಲು ಮೊದಲಾದ ಅಂಗಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ನಾನಾವಿಧ ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ.”

Word by Word

यथाjust as

दारुमयीmade of wood

योषाwoman (doll/puppet figure)

नरवीरO hero among men

समाहिताset/controlled, directed

ईरयतिmoves/sets in motion

अङ्गम्limb

अजड्भानिthe non-sentient ones (i.e., inert limbs)

तथाso, in the same way

राजन्O king

अरिमाःenemies

प्रजाःsubjects, people

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

king (addressed as rājan)

puppet/wooden woman (dārumayī yoṣā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Human actions are compared to a puppet’s movements: outward activity occurs through the senses and limbs, but the deeper impulse is governed by a higher power. The ethical takeaway is to reduce ego, harsh blame, and pride, cultivating humility and self-restraint in judging others’ actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king/hero and uses a vivid metaphor of a wooden puppet moved by a controller to explain how people’s varied actions arise under divine prompting, framing a reflective discussion on responsibility, governance, and moral perspective.