Shloka 37

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

Devanagari script

यथा<<सतां सम्मतौ राज्ञां पृथिव्यां राजसत्तम

Transliteration

yathā satāṁ sammatāu rājñāṁ pṛthivyāṁ rājasattama

Translation

ਵੈਸ਼ੰਪਾਯਨ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਹੇ ਰਾਜਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ! ਜਿਵੇਂ ਧਰਤੀ ਉੱਤੇ ਸਤਪੁਰਖਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਜਿਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਇਹ ਮਨਜ਼ੂਰ ਅਤੇ ਕਾਇਮ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ…

Word by Word

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous (people)
• सताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सम्मतौ: in the approval/consent
• सम्मतौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्मत
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• राज्ञाम्: of kings
• राज्ञाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• राजसत्तम: O best of kings
• राजसत्तम: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• kings (rājānaḥ)
• the virtuous (satāḥ)
• earth/world (pṛthivī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dharma and proper conduct as something validated by two authorities: the virtuous (sat) and responsible rulers. Ethical norms are presented as those that gain consensus among the good and are upheld in governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses a king with the honorific “rājasattama” and begins a comparison (“yathā…”) that appeals to what is accepted by virtuous people and kings on earth, setting up an argument about rightful practice or policy.