Shloka 52

Adhyaya 4 — Draupadi and Her Husbands

Sanskrit

प्रोद्धूतानसुरान् हन्ति धर्मविच्छित्तिकारिणः ।

पाति देवान् सतश्चान्यान् धर्मरक्षापरायणान् ॥

Transliteration

proddhūtān asurān hanti dharma-vicchitti-kāriṇaḥ |

pāti devān sataś cānyān dharma-rakṣā-parāyaṇān ||

Translation

ధర్మాన్ని భంగం చేసే, తరిమివేయబడిన అసురులను ఆయన సంహరిస్తాడు; ధర్మరక్షణలో నిమగ్నమైన దేవతలను మరియు ఇతర సద్గుణులను కాపాడుతాడు.

Word by Word

• प्रोद्धूतान्: driven away; expelled
• प्रोद्धूतान्: Karma (कर्म/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+उद्+धूत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त past participle from √धू ‘to shake/drive away’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मविशेषण

• असुरान्: demons; asuras
• असुरान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• हन्ति: kills; strikes down
• हन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• धर्म: of dharma
• धर्म: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-समासार्थ (समासपूर्वपद; ‘धर्मस्य’)

• विच्छित्ति: disruption; destruction
• विच्छित्ति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विच्छित्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/षष्ठी-समासार्थ (समासपूर्वपद; ‘विच्छित्तेः/विच्छित्तिं’)

• कारिणः: those who cause disruption of dharma
• कारिणः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √कृ, agent noun)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः—धर्म+विच्छित्ति+कारिणः (धर्मविच्छित्तिकारिणः) = ‘धर्मविच्छित्तिं कुर्वन्तः’

• पाति: protects
• पाति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु; √पा ‘to protect’)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सतः: good; righteous
• सतः: Karma (कर्म/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक; present participle from √अस् ‘to be’, used as adjective/noun)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘सत्’ = good/virtuous (कर्मविशेषण)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अन्यान्: others
• अन्यान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• धर्म: of dharma
• धर्म: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-समासार्थ (समासपूर्वपद)

• रक्षा: protection
• रक्षा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/षष्ठी-समासार्थ (समासपूर्वपद; ‘रक्षायाम्/रक्षायाः’)

• परायणान्: devoted to protecting dharma
• परायणान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः—धर्म+रक्षा+परायणान् (धर्मरक्षापरायणान्) = ‘धर्मरक्षायां परायणाः’

Speakers

• Uncertain from the single-verse extract (depends on edition’s narrative frame for Adhyaya 4)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Devas (collective)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Protection of the righteous
• Suppression of adharma
• Kingship/Divine guardianship (implicit)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames righteous power as protective rather than merely punitive: destruction is directed specifically at those who fracture dharma, while preservation is extended to devas and all sat (virtuous beings) committed to dharma’s maintenance. Ethical force is justified when it restores moral order and shields the dharmic community.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily aligns with Vamśānucarita/Carita (accounts of exemplary protectors and the defeat of adharmic forces) and, in a broader Purāṇic sense, supports Manvantara-style dharma-protection motifs (even if no specific Manu is named here). It is not directly Sarga/Pratisarga from this verse alone.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Asura’ functions both as a mythic enemy and as the inner tendency that ‘cuts off’ dharma (vicchitti)—confusion, arrogance, violence, or greed that severs right order. The protector principle (divine or kingly) symbolizes discriminative power that removes dharma-disrupting impulses and preserves the devas—i.e., luminous faculties aligned with truth and restraint.