Shloka 4

Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ

Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit

Devanagari script

नियच्छैनां मतिं राजन्‌ धर्मार्थसुखनाशिनीम्‌ | यशःप्रतापवीर्यघ्नीं शत्रूणां हर्षवर्धनीम्‌,राजन्‌! आपका यह आत्महत्यासम्बन्धी विचार धर्म, अर्थ तथा सुख, यश, प्रताप और पराक्रमका नाश करनेवाला तथा शत्रुओंका हर्ष बढ़ानेवाला है, अतः इसे रोकिये

Transliteration

niyacchaināṁ matiṁ rājan dharmārthasukhanāśinīm | yaśaḥpratāpavīryaghnīṁ śatrūṇāṁ harṣavardhanīm ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“大王啊，收敛你这般念头吧。它毁坏法（dharma）、利与乐；扼杀名声、威严与勇力；并且只会增长仇敌的欢喜。”

Word by Word

नियच्छrestrain, check

एनाम्this (her/it) [i.e., this thought]

मतिम्thought, intention

राजन्O king

धर्मार्थसुखनाशिनीम्destroying dharma, artha, and happiness

यशःप्रतापवीर्यघ्नीम्destroying fame, splendor, and valor

शत्रूणाम्of enemies

हर्षवर्धनीम्increasing (their) joy

राजन्O king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

rājan (the king addressed)

śatravaḥ (enemies)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king must restrain self-destructive impulses: such thoughts undermine dharma (moral order), artha (welfare and stability), and sukha (well-being), while also eroding honor and courage and giving satisfaction to adversaries.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses a king who is entertaining a self-harming or ruinous resolve. He urges the king to check that intention because it would damage his righteous standing and royal strength and would embolden and please his enemies.