Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

अथर्ववेदप्रोक्तैश्न याश्नोपनिषदि क्रिया: । मन्त्रजप्यसमायुक्तास्तास्तदा समवर्तयन्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | atharvavedaproktaīr mantrair bṛhaspatiśukrācāryavarṇitaiś ca agnivistārasādhyayajñakarmāṇi ārabdhāni | yāś copaniṣadi (āraṇyake) mantrajapyasamāyuktā havanādikriyāḥ proktās tā api tadā samavartayan | duryodhanasya niścayaṃ jñātvā pātālavāsino bhayaṅkarā daityadānavāḥ—ye pūrvakāle devaiḥ parājitāḥ—manasā vicārayām āsuḥ: “asya prāṇānte asmākaṃ pakṣa eva naśyet” iti; tasmāt taṃ svapārśvaṃ ānetuṃ mantravidyānipuṇāḥ te mantraiḥ karmāṇi cakruḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Khi hay biết quyết tâm của Duryodhana, bọn Daitya và Dānava ghê rợn cư ngụ nơi cõi hạ giới—những kẻ thù cổ xưa từng bị chư thiên đánh bại—thầm nghĩ trong lòng: “Nếu Duryodhana chết, phe ta cũng sẽ tiêu vong.” Vì thế, để triệu hắn đến trước mặt mình, những Daitya tinh thông minh chú đã khởi hành nghi lễ tế tự cần trải rộng lửa thiêng, dùng các thần chú Atharvaveda do Bṛhaspati và Śukrācārya truyền thuật; đồng thời họ cũng thực hiện các lễ hiến cúng và nghi thức liên quan theo truyền thống Upaniṣad (Āraṇyaka), kèm theo tụng niệm minh chú.

Word by Word

• अथर्ववेदप्रोक्तैः: by those stated in the Atharvaveda
• अथर्ववेदप्रोक्तैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अथर्ववेद-प्रोक्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• याः: which
• याः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• उपनिषदि: in the Upaniṣad
• उपनिषदि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपनिषद्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• क्रियाः: rites/acts
• क्रियाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• मन्त्रजप्यसमायुक्ताः: accompanied by mantra-recitation
• मन्त्रजप्यसमायुक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र-जप्य-समायुक्त
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• ताः: those (rites)
• ताः: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

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

• समवर्तयन्: they carried out/caused to proceed
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+वृत् (समवर्तयति)
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Duryodhana
• Daityas
• Dānavas
• Pātāla
• Devas
• Bṛhaspati
• Śukrācārya
• Atharvaveda
• Upaniṣad/Āraṇyaka
• Agni (ritual fire)
• Yajña (sacrifice)
• Havana (fire-offering)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how ritual and mantra can be used instrumentally for factional aims; it implicitly contrasts sacred technique with ethical intention—power divorced from dharma becomes a tool of adharma and deepens conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Netherworld Daityas and Dānavas, fearing that Duryodhana’s death would ruin their cause, begin Atharvavedic and Upaniṣadic-style fire rites with mantra-recitation to draw him to their side.