Shloka 3

Draupadī’s Rebuke of Jayadratha and Dhaumya’s Admonition (Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 252)

Devanagari script

त्वमल्पबुद्धया नृपते प्राणानुत्स्रष्टमर्हसि । अथवाप्यवगच्छामि न वृद्धा: सेवितास्त्वया

Transliteration

tvam alpabuddhyā nṛpate prāṇān utsraṣṭum arhasi | athavāpy avagacchāmi na vṛddhāḥ sevitās tvayā, nareśvara |

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—ହେ ନରେଶ୍ୱର! ଅଳ୍ପବୁଦ୍ଧିରେ ପଡ଼ି ତୁମେ ଆଜି ପ୍ରାଣତ୍ୟାଗ କରିବାକୁ ଉଦ୍ୟତ; ନଚେତ୍ ମୁଁ ଏହିପରି ବୁଝୁଛି—ତୁମେ କେବେ ବୃଦ୍ଧମାନଙ୍କ ସଙ୍ଗ ଓ ଉପଦେଶ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିନାହ।

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• अल्पबुद्ध्या: with little understanding / due to poor judgment
• अल्पबुद्ध्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्पबुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• नृपते: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्राणान्: life-breaths / life
• प्राणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उत्स्रष्टुम्: to abandon / to give up
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√सृज्
• Form: Infinitive, —, —

• अर्हसि: you ought / you deserve / you should
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्ह्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

• अथवा: or else
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अवगच्छामि: I understand / I infer
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√गम्
• Form: Present, First, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वृद्धाः: elders / old men
• वृद्धाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सेविताः: served / attended
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सेव्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (kta)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• nṛpati (a king, addressed)
• vṛddhāḥ (elders)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king should not abandon life out of confused or immature thinking; wise conduct is shaped by seeking the guidance and example of elders. The verse frames self-destruction as a failure of discernment and of proper mentorship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana rebukes a king who is inclined to give up his life, attributing this impulse to ‘small-minded’ judgment and suggesting that the king’s lack of association with elders has left him without stabilizing counsel.