Shloka 13

Draupadī’s Rebuke of Jayadratha and Dhaumya’s Admonition (Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 252)

Devanagari script

निर्वेदं परमं गत्वा राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा । ब्रीडयाभिपरीतात्मा नैराश्यमगमत्‌ परम्‌

Transliteration

nirvedaṁ paramaṁ gatvā rājā duryodhanas tadā | brīḍayābhiparītātmā nairāśyam agamat param ||

Translation

Bấy giờ vua Duryodhana rơi vào nỗi chán chường sâu thẳm nhất; tâm can bị nỗi hổ thẹn bao phủ, chàng chìm xuống tận cùng tuyệt vọng. Câu kệ nêu rõ: ý đồ phi đạo và lời mưu thất bại không đưa đến sáng suốt hay cải hóa, mà kết tụ thành hỗn hợp ăn mòn của xấu hổ và tuyệt vọng, càng làm mờ đục phán đoán.

Word by Word

• निर्वेदम्: despondency, disgust
• निर्वेदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वेद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परमम्: supreme, extreme
• परमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गत्वा: having gone/attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• ब्रीडया: by shame
• ब्रीडया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रीडा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभिपरीतात्मा: one whose mind was overcome/turned (by shame)
• अभिपरीतात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिपरीतात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नैराश्यम्: hopelessness, despair
• नैराश्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैराश्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अगमत्: went to, fell into, attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परम्: extreme, utmost
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores a moral-psychological consequence of adharma: when one persists in wrongful aims, the mind can become trapped between shame (brīḍā) and hopelessness (nairāśya), which further impairs discernment instead of leading to repentance and correction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Duryodhana, at that moment, reaches extreme dejection; his inner self is overwhelmed by shame and he falls into profound despair, marking a turning point in his emotional and strategic state.