Shloka 21

Draupadī’s Lament and Theodicy: Dharma, Dice, and Īśvara’s Governance (Āraṇyaka-parva 31)

Devanagari script

जो मूढ़ मानव आर्ष-पग्रन्थोंके प्रमाणकी अवहेलना करके समस्त शास्त्रोंक विपरीत आचरण करते हुए धर्मका पालन नहीं करता, वह जन्म-जन्मान्तरोंमें भी कभी कल्याणका भागी नहीं होता

Transliteration

yo mūḍhaḥ mānavaḥ ārṣa-pragranthānāṃ pramāṇam avahīlya sarva-śāstra-viparītam ācaran dharmam na pālayati, sa janma-janmāntareṣv api kadācana kalyāṇasya bhāgī na bhavati.

Translation

ఋషులు ప్రణీతమైన గ్రంథప్రామాణ్యాన్ని తృణీకరించి, సమస్త శాస్త్రాలకు విరుద్ధంగా ప్రవర్తిస్తూ ధర్మాన్ని ఆచరించని మూర్ఖుడు—జన్మజన్మాంతరాలలోనూ ఎప్పటికీ నిజమైన క్షేమానికి పాత్రుడు కాడు।

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• mūḍhaḥ: deluded, foolish
• mūḍhaḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūḍha
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• mānavaḥ: man, human
• mānavaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ārṣa-pragranthānām: of the rishi-authored authoritative texts
• ārṣa-pragranthānām: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārṣa-pragrantha
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• pramāṇasya: of the authority/valid proof
• pramāṇasya: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāṇa
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• avahelanām: disregard, contempt
• avahelanām: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: avahelanā
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ
• Form: ktvā (absolutive/gerund)

• samastānām: of all
• samastānām: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• śāstrāṇām: of the scriptures/treatises
• śāstrāṇām: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• viparītam: contrary, opposite
• viparītam: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viparīta
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ācaraṇam: conduct, practice
• ācaraṇam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ācaraṇa
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• caran: practising, behaving
• caran: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: car
• Form: śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• dharmam: dharma, righteousness
• dharmam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• pālayati: protects/observes (follows)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pāl
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• janma-janmāntareṣu: in births and further births (across rebirths)
• janma-janmāntareṣu: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: janma-janmāntara
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• api: even, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api

• kadācit: ever, at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit

• kalyāṇasya: of welfare/auspicious good
• kalyāṇasya: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalyāṇa
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• bhāgī: a sharer, partaker
• bhāgī: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāgin
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• bhavati: becomes/is
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Disregarding the seers’ authoritative teachings and acting against śāstra leads to a life (and afterlives) devoid of kalyāṇa; dharma must be upheld through disciplined, scripturally aligned conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira delivers a moral judgment within a dharma-discussion context, warning that contempt for ṛṣi-based authority and anti-śāstric behavior results in long-term spiritual and ethical ruin.