Shloka 2

Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ

Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit

Devanagari script

अकार्षी: साहसमिदं कस्मात्‌ प्रायोपवेशनम्‌ । आत्मत्यागी ह्यथो याति वाच्यतां चायशस्करीम्‌

Transliteration

akārṣīḥ sāhasam idaṃ kasmāt prāyopaveśanam | ātmatyāgī hy atho yāti vācyatāṃ cāyaśaskarīm ||

Translation

“നീ എന്തിനാണ് ഈ ദുസ്സാഹസം—ഈ പ്രായോപവേശം—ചെയ്തത്? സ്വന്തം ജീവൻ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നവൻ അധോഗതിയിലേക്കു പോകും; ലോകത്തിൽ നിന്ദയ്ക്ക് പാത്രമാകും—അത് അകീർത്തി മാത്രമേ പരത്തൂ.”

Word by Word

• अकार्षीः: you did/made
• अकार्षीः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यम, एकवचनम्

• साहसम्: bold act, rashness
• साहसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• कस्मात्: from what (cause)? why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्

• प्रायोपवेशनम्: fasting unto death (sitting in resolve)
• प्रायोपवेशनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायोपवेशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• आत्मत्यागी: one who abandons his life; self-killer
• आत्मत्यागी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मत्यागिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)

• अथ: then, moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (निपात)

• याति: goes, attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम, एकवचनम्

• वाच्यताम्: blame, censurability
• वाच्यताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)

• अयशस्करीम्: bringing ill-fame
• अयशस्करीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयशस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• prāyopaveśana (fasting unto death)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames self-destruction (or a death-seeking fast) as ethically blameworthy: it leads to an inferior destiny and produces public censure and lasting ill-repute, implying that one should face adversity through dharmic endurance rather than self-harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports an admonition directed at someone who has undertaken prāyopaveśana (a fast unto death). The speaker challenges the motive for such a drastic vow and warns of its moral and social consequences.