Shloka 36
Draupadī’s Lament and Theodicy: Dharma, Dice, and Īśvara’s Governance (Āraṇyaka-parva 31)
नैतानि वेद यः कश्रिन्मुहान्ते5त्र प्रजा इमा: | अपि कल्पसहस्रेण न स श्रेयोडधिगच्छति,इन देवगुह्य विषयोंमें साधारण लोग मोहित हो जाते हैं। जो इन सबको तात्त्विकरूपसे नहीं जानता है, वह सहस्रों कल्पोंमें भी कल्याणका भागी नहीं हो सकता
naitāni veda yaḥ kaścin muhūrte 'tra prajā imāḥ | api kalpasahasreṇa na sa śreyo 'dhigacchati ||
Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Quem, entre estas pessoas, não compreender verdadeiramente tais assuntos—nem que seja por um instante—não alcançará o que é de fato benéfico, ainda que ao longo de mil eras. Os homens comuns se deixam iludir nesses domínios divinos e secretos; sem apreender sua natureza real, ninguém pode partilhar do verdadeiro bem-estar.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Without real understanding of subtle, ‘divine’ principles, a person remains deluded and cannot attain śreyas—true, lasting welfare—even over vast stretches of time. The verse elevates discernment and right knowledge as prerequisites for genuine good.
Yudhiṣṭhira is instructing or reflecting on the difficulty of grasping higher truths: common people are easily fascinated and misled by secret or divine-sounding matters, but only one who understands their reality can progress toward true good.