Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

एते हि धर्ममेवादौ वर्णयन्ति सदानघे । कर्तव्यममरप्रख्या: प्रत्यक्षागमबुद्धय:,अनघे! ये अमरोंके समान विख्यात तथा वेदगम्य विषयको भी प्रत्यक्ष देखनेवाले महर्षि धर्मको ही सबसे प्रथम आचरणमें लानेयोग्य बताते हैं

Transliteration

ete hi dharmam evādau varṇayanti sadānaghe | kartavyam amaraprakhyāḥ pratyakṣāgamabuddhayaḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Hỡi người thanh khiết, các bậc hiền thánh ấy luôn đặt lời nói về dharma lên trước hết. Những vị lừng danh như chư thiên, với trí tuệ nương vào cả trực giác chứng kiến và truyền thống thánh điển, tuyên rằng dharma là điều phải được đặt lên hàng đầu trong thực hành.”

Word by Word

एतेthese

हिindeed/for

धर्मम्dharma/righteousness

एवonly/indeed

आदौat first/in the beginning

वर्णयन्तिdescribe/expound

सदाalways

अनघेO sinless one

कर्तव्यम्to be done/duty (as predicate)

अमरप्रख्याःrenowned like immortals (gods)

प्रत्यक्षागमबुद्धयःthose whose understanding is (based on) direct perception and scripture/tradition

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

anaghe (addressed woman, likely Draupadī in context)

mahārṣis (implied sages)

amarāḥ (the gods/immortals, by comparison)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma must be placed first in conduct. The verse emphasizes that the highest authorities—sages with both experiential insight (pratyakṣa) and scriptural grounding (āgama)—prioritize dharma as the foremost guide for action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira is responding within a discussion on right conduct, appealing to the testimony of revered sages. He underscores that those considered godlike in wisdom and reputation consistently begin their instruction with dharma and recommend it as the first principle to be enacted.