Shloka 17

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

Draupadī on Action, Fate, and Human Effort

Devanagari script

तत्र चेद्‌ युध्यमानानामजिह्यमनिवर्तिनाम्‌ | सर्वशो हि वध: श्रेयान्‌ प्रेत्मय लोकान्‌ लभेमहि,“ऐसी दशामें यदि हम पीठ न दिखाकर युद्धमें निष्कपटभावसे लड़ते रहें और उसमें हमारा वध भी हो जाय तो वह कल्याणकारक है; क्योंकि युद्धमें मरनेसे हमें उत्तम लोकोंकी प्राप्ति होगी

Transliteration

tatra ced yudhyamānānām ajihyam anivartinām | sarvaśo hi vadhaḥ śreyān pretmy lokān labhemahi ||

Translation

ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಅಂತಹ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಬೆನ್ನು ತೋರದೆ, ನಿಷ್ಕಪಟವಾಗಿ, ಅಚಲವಾಗಿ ಯುದ್ಧ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದು, ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ವಧವೂ ಆದರೂ ಅದೇ ಶ್ರೇಯಸ್ಕರ; ಯಾಕೆಂದರೆ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಸತ್ತರೆ ಪರಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಉನ್ನತ ಲೋಕಗಳನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತೇವೆ.

Word by Word

तत्रthere, in that situation

चेत्if

युध्यमानानाम्of (those) fighting

अजिह्यम्not turning away / not bending (from battle)

अनिवर्तिनाम्of the unretreating

सर्वशःin every way; altogether

हिindeed, for

वधःdeath, slaying

श्रेयान्better, more beneficial

प्रेत्मयdeparted/after-death (as given)

लोकान्worlds, realms

लभेमहिwe may obtain

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

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?

The verse upholds kṣatriya-dharma: in a righteous combat situation, steadfast fighting without retreat or deceit is ethically preferable, and death in such battle is portrayed as spiritually beneficial, leading to higher post-mortem realms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a stance taken in the story: faced with a grave conflict, the speakers consider that continuing to fight without turning back is the proper course, even if it results in their death, because it is deemed honorable and leads to auspicious worlds after death.