Shloka 85

Devanagari script

न दु:खं राज्यहरणं न च द्यूते पराजय: । प्रत्राजनं तु पुत्राणां न मे तद्‌ दुःखकारणम्‌,'राज्य छिन गया, यह कोई दुःखका कारण नहीं है। जूएमें हार जाना भी दुःखका कारण नहीं है। मेरे पुत्रोंको वनमें भेज दिया गया, इससे भी मुझे दुःख नहीं हुआ है; परंतु मेरी श्रेष्ठ सुन्दरी वधूको एक वस्त्र धारण किये जो सभामें जाना पड़ा और दुष्टोंकी कठोर बातें सुननी पड़ीं, इससे बढ़कर महान्‌ दुःखकी बात और क्या हो सकती है?

Transliteration

na duḥkhaṁ rājyaharaṇaṁ na ca dyūte parājayaḥ | pratrājanaṁ tu putrāṇāṁ na me tad duḥkhakāraṇam ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：“失去王国并非我的悲痛，在掷骰赌局中败北也并非如此。即便我的儿子们被驱逐流放入林，对我而言也不是哀伤之因。然而，我那高贵而美丽的儿媳竟被迫只着一袭衣衫走入王廷大会，又要忍受恶人刻薄严酷的言语——还有什么悲痛能超过此事？”

Word by Word

नnot

दुःखम्sorrow, grief

राज्यहरणम्the taking away of the kingdom

नnor/not

चand

द्यूतेin gambling, at dice

पराजयःdefeat

प्रत्राजनम्banishment/exile (sending away)

तुbut

पुत्राणाम्of (my) sons

नnot

मेof me, my

तत्that

दुःखकारणम्cause of sorrow

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

kingdom (rājya)

dice-game (dyūta)

sons (putrāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse ranks moral injury above material loss: losing power, wealth, or even suffering exile is bearable, but the public dishonoring of a virtuous woman in the assembly is portrayed as the deepest grief and a grave breach of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s recollection of the causes leading to war, the speaker contrasts earlier calamities (loss of kingdom, defeat at dice, exile of the sons) with the most painful event: the daughter-in-law’s humiliation in the sabhā, which becomes a decisive ethical outrage driving the conflict.