Shloka 40

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

Draupadī on Action, Fate, and Human Effort

Devanagari script

धर्म पूर्वे धनं मध्ये जघन्ये काममाचरेत्‌ । अहन्यनुचरेदेवमेष शास्त्रकृतो विधि:

Transliteration

dharmaṁ pūrve dhanaṁ madhye jaghanye kāmam ācaret | ahany anucared evam eṣa śāstrakṛto vidhiḥ ||

Translation

ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಮೊದಲು ಧರ್ಮವನ್ನು ಆಚರಿಸಬೇಕು, ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಅರ್ಥವನ್ನು ಸಂಪಾದಿಸಬೇಕು, ಅಂತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಮವನ್ನು ಸೇವಿಸಬೇಕು. ಪ್ರತಿದಿನವೂ ಹೀಗೆ ನಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು—ಇದು ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಕೃತ ವಿಧಿ.

Word by Word

धर्मम्dharma, righteousness

पूर्वेin the first (stage/period)

धनम्wealth

मध्येin the middle (stage/period)

जघन्येin the last (stage/period)

कामम्desire, pleasure

आचरेत्should practice/undertake

अहनिin the day; by day

अनुचरेत्should follow; should act accordingly

एवम्thus, in this manner

एषःthis

शास्त्रकृतःmade/ordained by scripture

विधिःrule, injunction, procedure

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

śāstra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a hierarchy of aims: prioritize dharma, then pursue wealth (artha) in its proper place, and seek pleasure (kāma) last—so that desire remains governed by righteousness and supported by lawful means.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, states a general śāstric principle about proper conduct and the ordered pursuit of human goals, presenting it as an authoritative rule to be followed in daily life.