Shloka 37
Draupadī’s Lament and Theodicy: Dharma, Dice, and Īśvara’s Governance (Āraṇyaka-parva 31)
रक्ष्याण्येतानि देवानां गूढमाया हि देवता: । कृताशाश्च व्रताशाश्व॒ तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषा: | प्रसादैर्मानसैर्युक्ता: पश्यन्त्येतानि वै द्विजा:,इन सब विषयोंको देवतालोग गुप्त रखते हैं। देवताओंकी माया भी गूढ़ (दुर्बोध) है। जो आशाका परित्याग करके साच्चिक हितकर एवं पवित्र आहार करनेवाले हैं। तपस्यासे जिनके सारे पाप दग्ध हो गये हैं तथा जो मानसिक प्रसन्नतासे युक्त हैं, वे द्विज ही इन देवगुह्म विषयोंको देख पाते हैं
rakṣyāṇy etāni devānāṃ gūḍhamāyā hi devatāḥ | kṛtāśāś ca vratāśāś ca tapasa dagdhakilbiṣāḥ | prasādair mānasair yuktāḥ paśyanty etāni vai dvijāḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Essas coisas devem ser guardadas pelos deuses, pois a māyā dos deuses é, de fato, profunda e difícil de sondar. Somente aqueles que abandonaram o desejo e a expectativa, que vivem por disciplinas puras e benéficas, cujos pecados foram queimados pela austeridade, e que são dotados de serenidade interior—tais sábios duas-vezes-nascidos—podem perceber essas verdades divinas e ocultas.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Divine realities are subtle and not accessible through curiosity or mere learning; they are perceived by those who cultivate renunciation of craving, disciplined observance, austerity that purifies wrongdoing, and a serene, clarified mind.
Yudhiṣṭhira explains that certain divine matters are intentionally concealed because the gods’ māyā is profound; he then states the qualifications of the seers—purified, disciplined, and inwardly tranquil dvijas—who alone can ‘see’ these hidden truths.