Shloka 19

अध्याय ३३ — कर्म, दैव, हठ, स्वभाव और पुरुषार्थ पर द्रौपदी का उपदेश

Draupadī on Action, Fate, and Human Effort

Devanagari script

सर्वथा कार्यमेतन्न: स्वधर्ममनुतिष्ठताम्‌ । काडुक्षतां विपुलां कीर्ति वैरं प्रतिचिकीर्षताम्‌,“हम अपने क्षत्रिय-धर्मके अनुष्ठानमें संलग्न हो वैरका बदला लेना चाहते हैं और संसारमें महान्‌ यशका विस्तार करनेकी अभिलाषा रखते हैं, अतः हमारे लिये सब प्रकारसे युद्ध करना ही उचित है

Transliteration

sarvathā kāryam etan naḥ svadharmam anutiṣṭhatām | kṣatāṁ vipulāṁ kīrtiṁ vairaṁ praticikīrṣatām ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Для нас, во всех отношениях, это — надлежащий путь, при твёрдом исполнении собственного дхарма. Желая обрести великую славу и взыскать возмездие за вражду, нам подобает вступить в битву.»

Word by Word

• सर्वथा: in every way, wholly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा
• Form: true

• कार्यम्: to be done; proper/necessary act
• कार्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• एतत्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• नः: of us / our
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: first, genitive, plural

• स्वधर्मम्: one's own duty (proper dharma)
• स्वधर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधर्म
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• अनुतिष्ठताम्: let (them) carry out / practice
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-स्था
• Form: Lot, parasmaipada, third, plural

• काण्डुक्षताम्: of those wounded by arrows (lit. arrow-wounded)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काण्डुक्षत
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• विपुलाम्: vast, great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• कीर्तिम्: fame, renown
• कीर्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• वैरम्: enmity; feud; revenge
• वैरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैर
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• प्रतिचिकीर्षताम्: of those wishing to retaliate/do in return
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-चिकीर्ष
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, genitive, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames warfare as 'proper' when aligned with svadharma (one’s rightful role-duty), yet it also reveals motivating impulses—seeking fame and repaying enmity—highlighting the ethical tension between duty-based action and desire-driven retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, the speakers (implicitly kṣatriyas) justify choosing battle: they claim it accords with their svadharma and will both avenge hostility and spread their renown.