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

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Mengapa engkau melakukan tindakan gopoh ini—tekad untuk berpuasa hingga mati? Kerana sesiapa yang meninggalkan nyawanya sendiri akan jatuh ke keadaan yang rendah, dan di dunia dia juga akan menerima cela—kehinaan yang menyebarkan nama buruk.”

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.