Shloka 1
Draupadī’s Lament and Theodicy: Dharma, Dice, and Īśvara’s Governance (Āraṇyaka-parva 31)
युधिष्ठिर बोले--यज्ञसेनकुमारी! तुमने जो बात कही है, वह सुननेमें बड़ी मनोहर, विचित्र पदावलीसे सुशोभित तथा बहुत सुन्दर है, मैंने उसे बड़े ध्यानसे सुना है। परंतु इस समय तुम (अज्ञानसे) नास्तिक मतका प्रतिपादन कर रही हो
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—Yajñasenakumārī! tvayā yā kathitā vārtā śravaṇe mahāmanoharā, vicitra-padāvalī-śobhitā ca atiśayena sundarī; mayā sā mahādhāraṇayā śrutā. kintu etasmin kāle tvaṃ (ajñānāt) nāstika-matasya pratipādanaṃ karosi.
Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Ó filha de Yajñasena! O que disseste é deleitoso de ouvir — adornado com voltas de expressão singulares e verdadeiramente belo. Eu o escutei com grande atenção. Contudo, neste momento, por ignorância, estás a sustentar uma doutrina niilista e irreligiosa.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Elegant speech is not enough; Yudhiṣṭhira evaluates the content ethically and warns that denying dharma (nāstika reasoning) is harmful even if it sounds persuasive.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Draupadī (as ‘daughter of Yajñasena’), praises her compelling words, but rebukes her for advancing an irreligious/nihilistic line of argument at this point in their discussion.