Mahabharata — Adi Parva, Shloka 7
Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Reconciliation and Partition (भीष्मोपदेशः—संधि-राज्यविभागविचारः)
Devanagari script
दुपद उवाच अधर्मो5यं मम मतो विरुद्धो लोकवेदयो: । न होका विद्यते पत्नी बहूनां द्विजसत्तम
Transliteration
dupada uvāca: adharmo ’yaṃ mama mato viruddho lokavedayoḥ | na hy ekā vidyate patnī bahūnāṃ dvijasattama ||
Translation
德鲁帕陀说道：“依我之见，此乃非正法（adharma），因为它既违世俗之常，又逆吠陀之则。遍处皆不承认——噢，婆罗门中之最上者——多名男子共一妻之行。”
Word by Word
द्रुपदःDrupada
द्रुपदः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootद्रुपद
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPerfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
अधर्मःunrighteousness; adharma
अधर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अयम्this
अयम्:
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ममof me; my
मम:
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
मतःconsidered; thought (by me)
मतः:
TypeAdjective
Rootमत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
विरुद्धःopposed; contrary
विरुद्धः:
TypeAdjective
Rootविरुद्ध
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
लोकवेदयोःof the world (custom) and the Veda
लोकवेदयोः:
TypeNoun
Rootलोकवेद
FormMasculine, Genitive, Dual
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
हindeed
ह:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootह
लोकेin the world
लोके:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootलोक
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
विद्यतेexists; is found
विद्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootविद्
FormPresent (Laṭ), Third, Singular, Ātmanepada
पत्नीwife
पत्नी:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपत्नी
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
बहूनाम्of many
बहूनाम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
द्विजसत्तमO best of the twice-born (brahmins)
द्विजसत्तम:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootद्विजसत्तम
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
दुपद उवाच
Characters & Entities
D
DupadaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Dupada frames dharma as accountable to both śāstra (Veda) and accepted social practice (loka), rejecting a marital arrangement that, in his view, violates both normative authorities.
In the discussion surrounding Draupadī’s marriage, Dupada objects to the idea of one woman being wife to multiple men, calling it adharma and appealing to worldly custom and Vedic sanction.