Shloka 38

Draupadī’s Exhortation on Rājadharma and Daṇḍa (द्रौपद्याः राजधर्मोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

प्रशाधि पृथिवीं देवीं प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन्‌

Transliteration

praśādhi pṛthivīṃ devīṃ prajā dharmeṇa pālayan

Translation

毗舍波耶那说道：“统御这神圣的大地；在护佑百姓之时，以达摩扶持他们。”

Word by Word

• प्रशाधि: rule, govern
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शास्
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यम, एकवचनम्

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• देवीम्: divine (goddess-like)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• प्रजाः: subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्

• धर्मेण: by/with righteousness, according to dharma
• धर्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, तृतीया, एकवचनम्

• पालयन्: protecting, governing (while doing so)
• पालयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पालयत् (पाल्/पालय्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pṛthivī (Earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse enjoins righteous kingship: sovereignty is legitimate only when exercised as protection and care of the people, guided by dharma rather than personal desire.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Vaiśampāyana reports an instruction directed to a ruler: to govern the realm (the ‘divine earth’) and to maintain the subjects through dharmic conduct.