Shloka 31

Draupadī’s Exhortation on Rājadharma and Daṇḍa (द्रौपद्याः राजधर्मोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

हत्वा राजसहस्राणि बहून्याशुपराक्रम: । तद्‌ व्यर्थ सम्प्रपश्यामि मोहात्‌ तव जनाधिप

Transliteration

hatvā rājāsahasrāṇi bahūny āśuparākramaḥ | tad vyarthaṃ samprapaśyāmi mohāt tava janādhipa ||

Translation

വേഗവും ശക്തവുമായ പരാക്രമത്തോടെ അനേകം സഹസ്ര രാജാക്കളെ വധിച്ചിട്ടും, ഹേ ജനാധിപാ, നിന്റെ മോഹം മൂലം അതെല്ലാം ഇപ്പോൾ എനിക്ക് വ്യർത്ഥമായി തോന്നുന്നു.

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• राजसहस्राणि: thousands of kings
• राजसहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• बहूनि: many
• बहूनि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• आशुपराक्रमः: one of swift prowess
• आशुपराक्रमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशु + पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• व्यर्थम्: in vain, fruitless
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial use)

• सम्प्रपश्यामि: I clearly see/realize
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + √पश् (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मोहात्: from delusion
• मोहात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• तव: of you, your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• जनाधिप: O lord of people (king)
• जनाधिप: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• janādhipa (a king/ruler addressed)
• rājānaḥ (kings, collectively)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even extraordinary martial success can be judged as meaningless if it arises from moha (delusion) rather than dharmic clarity; ethical evaluation of action depends on motive, discernment, and consequence, not merely on power or victory.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker (Vaiśampāyana, narrating) conveys a confession-like reflection addressed to a ruler: after killing innumerable kings with swift prowess, the speaker now recognizes those acts as futile, attributing the earlier course of action to delusion.