Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 8

व्याधि-गुण-साम्योपदेशः | Discourse on Affliction, Guṇa-Equilibrium, and the Inner Battle

अथवा ते स्वभावो<यं येन पार्थावकृष्यसे । दृष्टवा सभागतां कृष्णामेकवस्त्रां रजस्वलाम्‌ । मिषतां पाण्डवेयानां न तस्य स्मर्तुमिच्छसि,अथवा पार्थ! आपका यह स्वभाव ही है, जिससे आप आदृष्ट होते हैं। पाण्डवोंके देखते-देखते एकवस्त्रधारिणी रजस्वला कृष्णा सभामें घसीट लायी गयी। आप उसे उस अवस्थामें देखकर भी अब उसकी याद करना नहीं चाहते

athavā te svabhāvo ’yaṃ yena pārthāvakṛṣyase | dṛṣṭvā sabhāgatāṃ kṛṣṇām ekavastrāṃ rajasvalām | miṣatāṃ pāṇḍaveyānāṃ na tasya smartum icchasi |

Hay đó chính là bản tính của ngài, hỡi Pārtha, khiến ngài chùn bước? Ngài đã thấy Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) bị lôi vào hội trường—chỉ khoác một tấm y, lại đang trong kỳ kinh nguyệt—ngay trước mắt các con trai của Pāṇḍu. Vậy mà nay ngài lại không muốn dù chỉ nhớ đến nàng trong cảnh ấy sao?

अथवाor else
अथवा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथवा
तेof you/your
ते:
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
Form—, Genitive, Singular
स्वभावःnature, disposition
स्वभावः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootस्वभाव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अयम्this
अयम्:
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
येनby which
येन:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
पार्थO Partha (Arjuna)
पार्थ:
TypeNoun
Rootपार्थ
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
अवकृष्यसेyou are dragged down / you are pulled away
अवकृष्यसे:
TypeVerb
Rootअवकृष्
FormPresent, Atmanepada (Passive-like middle usage), Second, Singular
दृष्ट्वाhaving seen
दृष्ट्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootदृश्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive), Parasmaipada sense, Prior action
सभागताम्come to the assembly
सभागताम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसभागत
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
कृष्णाम्Krishna (Draupadi)
कृष्णाम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्णा
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
एकवस्त्राम्wearing a single garment
एकवस्त्राम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootएकवस्त्र
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
रजस्वलाम्menstruating
रजस्वलाम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootरजस्वला
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
मिषताम्while (they) were looking on
मिषताम्:
TypeVerb
Rootमिष्
Formशतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Genitive, Plural
पाण्डवेयानाम्of the Pandavas
पाण्डवेयानाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootपाण्डवेय
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
तस्यof that (event)/of her
तस्य:
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
स्मर्तुम्to remember
स्मर्तुम्:
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ
Formतुमुन् (infinitive)
इच्छसिyou wish/desire
इच्छसि:
TypeVerb
Rootइष्
FormPresent, Parasmaipada, Second, Singular
अथवाor else
अथवा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथवा
पार्थO Partha
पार्थ:
TypeNoun
Rootपार्थ
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

वायुदेव उवाच

वायुदेव (Vāyudeva)
पार्थ (Pārtha/Arjuna)
कृष्णा (Kṛṣṇā/Draupadī)
पाण्डवेय (the Pāṇḍavas)
सभा (the royal assembly/court)

Educational Q&A

The verse frames moral responsibility as inseparable from memory: to forget or refuse to recall an injustice—especially the public humiliation of a vulnerable person—signals a failure of dharma. Vāyudeva’s rebuke implies that a kṣatriya’s integrity is tested not only in battle but in acknowledging and responding to wrongdoing witnessed in the court.

Vāyudeva addresses Pārtha (Arjuna), challenging him for shrinking back and for not wanting to remember the earlier outrage in the assembly where Draupadī was dragged in, wearing a single garment and menstruating, while the Pāṇḍavas looked on. The speech uses that remembered humiliation as a moral goad to confront complacency and restore righteous resolve.