Shloka 4

Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ

Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit

Devanagari script

नियच्छैनां मतिं राजन्‌ धर्मार्थसुखनाशिनीम्‌ | यशःप्रतापवीर्यघ्नीं शत्रूणां हर्षवर्धनीम्‌

Transliteration

niyacchaināṁ matiṁ rājan dharmārthasukhanāśinīm | yaśaḥpratāpavīryaghnīṁ śatrūṇāṁ harṣavardhanīm ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Raja, tahanlah niatmu ini. Ia memusnahkan dharma, kesejahteraan duniawi, dan kebahagiaan; membunuh kemasyhuran, kewibawaan, dan keberanian; serta hanya menambah kegembiraan musuh-musuhmu.”

Word by Word

• नियच्छ: restrain, check
• नियच्छ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-यम् (यच्छ्)
• Form: Loṭ, 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एनाम्: this (her/it) [i.e., this thought]
• एनाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• मतिम्: thought, intention
• मतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• धर्मार्थसुखनाशिनीम्: destroying dharma, artha, and happiness
• धर्मार्थसुखनाशिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + अर्थ + सुख + नाशिनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• यशःप्रतापवीर्यघ्नीम्: destroying fame, splendor, and valor
• यशःप्रतापवीर्यघ्नीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस् + प्रताप + वीर्य + घ्नि (घ्नी)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शत्रूणाम्: of enemies
• शत्रूणाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हर्षवर्धनीम्: increasing (their) joy
• हर्षवर्धनीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर्ष + वर्धनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājan (the king addressed)
• śatravaḥ (enemies)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must restrain self-destructive impulses: such thoughts undermine dharma (moral order), artha (welfare and stability), and sukha (well-being), while also eroding honor and courage and giving satisfaction to adversaries.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses a king who is entertaining a self-harming or ruinous resolve. He urges the king to check that intention because it would damage his righteous standing and royal strength and would embolden and please his enemies.