Draupadi Reproaches the Ordainer

Verse 1 (3.30.1)

नमो धात्रे विधात्रे च यौ मोहं चक्रतुस्तव । पितृपैतामहे राज्ये वोढव्ये तेऽन्यथा मतिः ॥

namo dhātre vidhātre ca yau mohaṃ cakratustava | pitṛpaitāmahe rājye voḍhavye te'nyathā matiḥ

Homage to the Ordainer and the Disposer, who have so bewildered you that, when you ought to be bearing the burden of your father's and grandfather's kingdom, your mind turns the other way.

Verse 2 (3.30.2)

कर्मभिश्चिन्तितो लोको गत्यांगत्यां पृथग्विधः । तस्मात्कर्माणि नित्यानि लोभान्मोक्षं यियासति ॥

karmabhiścintito loko gatyāṃgatyāṃ pṛthagvidhaḥ | tasmātkarmāṇi nityāni lobhānmokṣaṃ yiyāsati

The world is fashioned by deeds, and it takes different forms with every passage from birth to birth. Deeds therefore bear fruit that cannot be escaped; it is out of greed that a man seeks release from them.

Note on the text: Removed the square brackets around this verse (editorial marks in Wikisource) and set its end punctuation. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); it appears in the critical edition's apparatus as 3.31.1d*107 (with the reading gatyāgatyā).

Verse 3 (3.30.3)

नेह धर्मानृशंस्याभ्यां न क्षान्त्या नार्जवेन च । पुरुषः श्रियमाप्नोति न घृणित्वेन कर्हिचित् ॥

neha dharmānṛśaṃsyābhyāṃ na kṣāntyā nārjavena ca | puruṣaḥ śriyamāpnoti na ghṛṇitvena karhicit

Not by righteousness and kindness, not by forbearance or straightforwardness, and never by compassion, does a man win prosperity in this world.

Verse 4 (3.30.4)

त्वां चेद्व्यसनमभ्यागादिदं भारत दुःसहम् । स त्वं नार्हसि नापीमे भ्रातरस्ते महौजसः ॥

tvāṃ cedvyasanamabhyāgādidaṃ bhārata duḥsaham | sa tvaṃ nārhasi nāpīme bhrātaraste mahaujasaḥ

This unbearable calamity has come upon you, Bharata, though you do not deserve it, nor do these mighty brothers of yours.

Verse 5 (3.30.5)

न हि तेऽध्यगमञ्जातु तदानीं नाद्य भारत । धर्मात्प्रियतरं किंचिदपि चेज्जीवितादपि ॥

na hi te'dhyagamañjātu tadānīṃ nādya bhārata | dharmātpriyataraṃ kiṃcidapi cejjīvitādapi

Never, Bharata, neither then nor now, have people known anything dearer to you than dharma, not even your own life.

Verse 6 (3.30.6)

धर्मार्थमेव ते राज्यं धर्मार्थं जीवितं च ते । ब्राह्मणा गुरवश्चैव जानन्त्यपि च देवताः ॥

dharmārthameva te rājyaṃ dharmārthaṃ jīvitaṃ ca te | brāhmaṇā guravaścaiva jānantyapi ca devatāḥ

Your kingdom is for the sake of dharma, and your very life is for the sake of dharma. The brahmins and your elders know this, and so do the gods.

Verse 7 (3.30.7)

भीमसेनार्जुनौ चोभौ माद्रेयौ च मया सह । त्यजेस्त्वमिति मे बुद्धिर्न तु धर्मं परित्यजेः ॥

bhīmasenārjunau cobhau mādreyau ca mayā saha | tyajestvamiti me buddhirna tu dharmaṃ parityajeḥ

It is my belief that you would give up Bhimasena and Arjuna, both the sons of Madri, and me as well, but you would never give up dharma.

Verse 8 (3.30.8)

राजानं धर्मगोप्तारं धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः । इति मे श्रुतमार्याणां त्वां तु मन्ये न रक्षति ॥

rājānaṃ dharmagoptāraṃ dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ | iti me śrutamāryāṇāṃ tvāṃ tu manye na rakṣati

I have heard from the noble that dharma, when it is guarded, guards the king who guards it. But it does not guard you, I think.

Verse 9 (3.30.9)

त्यक्त्वाऽन्यान्हि नरव्याघ्र नित्यदा धर्ममेव ते । बुद्धिः सततमन्वेति छायेव पुरुषं निजा ॥

tyaktvā'nyānhi naravyāghra nityadā dharmameva te | buddhiḥ satatamanveti chāyeva puruṣaṃ nijā

Setting all else aside, tiger among men, your mind constantly follows dharma alone, as a man's own shadow follows him.

Note on the text: Corrected धर्म एव → धर्ममेव and छायेवं → छायेव (misprints in Wikisource; अन्वेति needs an accusative object, as in the critical edition's dharmam eva, and the simile word is छाया इव). The opening त्यक्त्वाऽन्यान् is a recension variant of the critical edition's ananyā and is kept.

Verse 10 (3.30.10)

नावमंस्था हि सदृशान्नावराञ्श्रेयसः कुतः । अवाप्य पृथिवीं कृत्स्नां न ते शृङ्गमवर्धत ॥

nāvamaṃsthā hi sadṛśānnāvarāñśreyasaḥ kutaḥ | avāpya pṛthivīṃ kṛtsnāṃ na te śṛṅgamavardhata

You never slighted your equals, much less those beneath you, so how could you slight your betters? Even when you had won the whole earth, your pride did not swell.

Verse 11 (3.30.11)

स्वाहाकारैः स्वधाभिश्च पूजाभिरपि च द्विजान् । देवताश्च पितॄंश्चैव सततं पार्थ सेवसे ॥

svāhākāraiḥ svadhābhiśca pūjābhirapi ca dvijān | devatāśca pitṝṃścaiva satataṃ pārtha sevase

With svaha and svadha offerings and with acts of worship, son of Pritha, you constantly honour the twice-born, the gods and the ancestors.

Verse 12 (3.30.12)

ब्राह्मणाः सर्वकामैस्ते सततं पार्थ तर्पिताः । यतयो मोक्षिणश्चैव गृहस्थाश्चैव भारत ॥

brāhmaṇāḥ sarvakāmaiste satataṃ pārtha tarpitāḥ | yatayo mokṣiṇaścaiva gṛhasthāścaiva bhārata

You have always satisfied the brahmins with everything they desired, son of Pritha: ascetics, seekers of liberation and householders alike, Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected गृहस्ताः → गृहस्थाः (misprint in Wikisource; the word is गृहस्थ, as in the critical edition's gṛhasthāś).

Verse 13 (3.30.13)

भुञ्जते रुक्मपात्रीभिर्यत्राहं परिचारिका । आरण्यकेभ्यो वन्यानि भोजनानि प्रयच्छसि । नादेयं ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्ते गृहे किंचन विद्यते ॥

bhuñjate rukmapātrībhiryatrāhaṃ paricārikā | āraṇyakebhyo vanyāni bhojanāni prayacchasi | nādeyaṃ brāhmaṇebhyaste gṛhe kiṃcana vidyate

Where I waited upon them, they ate from golden plates. To the forest-dwellers you give the food of the forest. There is nothing in your house that you would not give to brahmins.

Note on the text: Three-line verse. The first line is not in the critical edition's constituted text (it appears in its apparatus as 3.31.11d*109); the other two lines correspond to 3.31.12, where the critical edition reads lauhāni bhājanāni for वन्यानि भोजनानि.

Verse 14 (3.30.14)

यदिदं वैश्वदेवान्ते सायं प्रातः प्रदीयते । तद्दत्त्वाऽतिथिभृत्येभ्यो राजञ्शिष्टेन जीवसि ॥

yadidaṃ vaiśvadevānte sāyaṃ prātaḥ pradīyate | taddattvā'tithibhṛtyebhyo rājañśiṣṭena jīvasi

What is given away morning and evening at the close of the Vaishvadeva rite you first give to guests and dependants, king, and you live on what is left.

Note on the text: Restored missing word spaces (तद्दत्त्वाऽतिथिभृत्येभ्योराजञ्शिष्टेनजीवसि → तद्दत्त्वाऽतिथिभृत्येभ्यो राजञ्शिष्टेन जीवसि).

Verse 15 (3.30.15)

इष्टयः पशुबन्धाश्च काम्यनैमित्तिकाश्च ये । वर्तन्ते पाकयज्ञाश्च सदा यज्ञाश्च तेऽनघ ॥

iṣṭayaḥ paśubandhāśca kāmyanaimittikāśca ye | vartante pākayajñāśca sadā yajñāśca te'nagha

Ishti rites and animal sacrifices, the optional and the occasional rites, the household paka-sacrifices and the other sacrifices are always carried on by you, sinless one.

Verse 16 (3.30.16)

अस्मिन्नपि महारण्ये विजने दस्युसेविते । राष्ट्रादपेत्य वसतो धर्मस्ते नावसीदति ॥

asminnapi mahāraṇye vijane dasyusevite | rāṣṭrādapetya vasato dharmaste nāvasīdati

Even in this great forest, lonely and haunted by robbers, living far from your kingdom, your dharma does not falter.

Verse 17 (3.30.17)

अश्वमेधो राजसूयः पौण्डरीकोऽथ गोसवः । इष्टास्त्वया महायज्ञा बहवोऽन्ये सदक्षिणाः ॥

aśvamedho rājasūyaḥ pauṇḍarīko'tha gosavaḥ | iṣṭāstvayā mahāyajñā bahavo'nye sadakṣiṇāḥ

The horse sacrifice, the Rajasuya, the Paundarika and the Gosava: these great sacrifices you have performed, and many others as well, with generous gifts to the priests.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (महायज्ञाबहवोऽन्ये → महायज्ञा बहवोऽन्ये). The second line is a recension variant of the critical edition's 3.31.16cd (etair api mahāyajñair iṣṭaṃ te bhūridakṣiṇaiḥ).

Verse 18 (3.30.18)

राजन्परीतया बुद्ध्या विषमेऽक्षपराजये । पार्थ मित्राणि चास्मांश्च वसूनि च पराजितः ॥

rājanparītayā buddhyā viṣame'kṣaparājaye | pārtha mitrāṇi cāsmāṃśca vasūni ca parājitaḥ

And yet, king, in that crooked game of dice, with your judgment turned upside down, son of Pritha, you lost your friends, us, and your wealth.

Note on the text: A recension variant of the critical edition's 3.31.17 (the second line differs: rājyaṃ vasūny āyudhāni bhrātṝn māṃ cāsi nirjitaḥ).

Verse 19 (3.30.19)

ऋजोर्मृदोर्बदान्यस्य धीमतः सत्यवादिनः । कथमक्षव्यसनजा बुद्धिरापतिता तव ॥

ṛjormṛdorbadānyasya dhīmataḥ satyavādinaḥ | kathamakṣavyasanajā buddhirāpatitā tava

How did a mind bent on the vice of dice ever come upon you, who are upright, gentle, generous, wise and truthful?

Verse 20 (3.30.20)

अतीव मोह आयाति मनश्च परिदूयते । निशाम्य व्यसनं पार्थ तवेदमतिदुःसहम् ॥

atīva moha āyāti manaśca paridūyate | niśāmya vyasanaṃ pārtha tavedamatiduḥsaham

A deep bewilderment comes over me and my heart is in torment, son of Pritha, when I look upon this unbearable calamity of yours.

Note on the text: Corrected मनश् → मनश्च (misprint in Wikisource; the conjunction च had dropped, leaving a bare halanta; the critical edition reads manaś ca). The second line is a recension variant of 3.31.19cd.

Verse 21 (3.30.21)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । ईश्वरस्य वशे लोकस्तिष्ठते नात्मनो यथा ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | īśvarasya vaśe lokastiṣṭhate nātmano yathā

On this they cite an ancient tale, which shows that the world stands under the Lord's control and not under its own.

Verse 22 (3.30.22)

धातैव खलु भूतानां सुखदुःखे प्रियाप्रिये । ददाति सर्वमीशानः पुरस्ताच्छुक्रमुच्चरन् ॥

dhātaiva khalu bhūtānāṃ sukhaduḥkhe priyāpriye | dadāti sarvamīśānaḥ purastācchukramuccaran

It is the Ordainer alone, the Lord, who gives all beings everything, joy and sorrow, the pleasant and the unpleasant, following the seed of their former deeds.

Verse 23 (3.30.23)

यथा दारुमयीं योषां नरो धीरः समाहितः । इङ्गयत्यङ्गमङ्गानि तथा राजन्निमाः प्रजाः ॥

yathā dārumayīṃ yoṣāṃ naro dhīraḥ samāhitaḥ | iṅgayatyaṅgamaṅgāni tathā rājannimāḥ prajāḥ

As a steady and attentive man makes a wooden puppet move limb by limb, so, king, are these creatures made to move.

Note on the text: Corrected इङ्ग्यत्य → इङ्गयत्य (misprint in Wikisource; the verb is इङ्गयति, "sets in motion", and the dropped vowel left the pada a syllable short). The rest of the verse is a recension variant of the critical edition's 3.31.22.

Verse 24 (3.30.24)

आकाश इव भूतानि व्याप्य सर्वाणि भारत । ईश्वरो विदधातीह कल्याणं यच्च पापकम् ॥

ākāśa iva bhūtāni vyāpya sarvāṇi bhārata | īśvaro vidadhātīha kalyāṇaṃ yacca pāpakam

Pervading all beings as space does, Bharata, the Lord brings about here both good and evil.

Verse 25 (3.30.25)

शकुनिस्तन्तुबद्धो वा नीयतेऽयमनीश्वरः । ईश्वरस्य वशे तिष्ठन्नान्येषामात्मनः प्रभुः ॥

śakunistantubaddho vā nīyate'yamanīśvaraḥ | īśvarasya vaśe tiṣṭhannānyeṣāmātmanaḥ prabhuḥ

Like a bird tied by a string, a creature is led along, powerless. Standing under the Lord's control, he is master neither of others nor of himself.

Verse 26 (3.30.26)

मणिः सूत्र इव प्रोतो नस्योत इव गोवृषः । धातुरादेशमन्वेति तन्मयो हि तदर्पणः ॥

maṇiḥ sūtra iva proto nasyota iva govṛṣaḥ | dhāturādeśamanveti tanmayo hi tadarpaṇaḥ

Like a gem strung on a thread, like a bull held by its nose-rope, a man follows the command of the Ordainer, for he is made of him and given over to him.

Verse 27 (3.30.27)

नात्माधीनो मनुष्योऽयं कालं भवति कंचन । स्रोतसो मध्यमापन्नः कूलवृक्ष इव च्युतः ॥

nātmādhīno manuṣyo'yaṃ kālaṃ bhavati kaṃcana | srotaso madhyamāpannaḥ kūlavṛkṣa iva cyutaḥ

Man is never at any time his own master. He is like a tree from the bank that has fallen into the middle of the stream.

Note on the text: Corrected नात्माथीनो → नात्माधीनो and भजतिं → भवति (misprints in Wikisource; आत्माधीन is the word, and भजतिं with its stray anusvara is no form; the critical edition reads nātmādhīno … bhavati).

Verse 28 (3.30.28)

अज्ञो जन्तुरनीशोऽयमात्मनः सुखदुःखयोः । ईश्वरप्रेरितो गच्छेत्स्वर्गं नरकमेव च ॥

ajño janturanīśo'yamātmanaḥ sukhaduḥkhayoḥ | īśvaraprerito gacchetsvargaṃ narakameva ca

This ignorant creature has no power over his own joy and sorrow. Driven by the Lord, he goes to heaven or to hell.

Verse 29 (3.30.29)

यथा वायोस्तृणाग्राणि वशं यान्ति बलीयसः । धातुरेवं वशं यान्ति सर्वभूतानि भारत ॥

yathā vāyostṛṇāgrāṇi vaśaṃ yānti balīyasaḥ | dhāturevaṃ vaśaṃ yānti sarvabhūtāni bhārata

As the tips of the grass bend under the sway of a strong wind, so all beings bend under the sway of the Ordainer, Bharata.

Verse 30 (3.30.30)

आर्ये कर्मणि युञ्जानः पापे वा पुनरीश्वरः । व्याप्य भूतानि चरते न चायमिति लक्ष्यते ॥

ārye karmaṇi yuñjānaḥ pāpe vā punarīśvaraḥ | vyāpya bhūtāni carate na cāyamiti lakṣyate

Setting creatures to noble deeds, or again to evil ones, the Lord moves about pervading all beings, and yet no one perceives that it is he.

Note on the text: Corrected पुनरीश्वः → पुनरीश्वरः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara र; the critical edition reads punar īśvaraḥ).

Verse 31 (3.30.31)

हेतुमात्रमिदं धातुः शरीरं क्षेत्रसंज्ञितम् । येन कारयते कर्म शुभाशुभफलं विभुः ॥

hetumātramidaṃ dhātuḥ śarīraṃ kṣetrasaṃjñitam | yena kārayate karma śubhāśubhaphalaṃ vibhuḥ

This body, which is called the field, is no more than the Ordainer's instrument, through which the all-pervading Lord makes a creature do deeds that bear good and evil fruit.

Verse 32 (3.30.32)

पश्य मायाप्रभावोऽयमीश्वरेण यथा कृतः । यो हन्ति भूतैर्भूतानि मोहयित्वाऽऽत्ममायया ॥

paśya māyāprabhāvo'yamīśvareṇa yathā kṛtaḥ | yo hanti bhūtairbhūtāni mohayitvā''tmamāyayā

See the power of illusion that the Lord has wrought: deluding beings with his own maya, he kills beings by means of beings.

Verse 33 (3.30.33)

अन्यथा परिदृष्टानि मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः । अन्यथा परिवर्तन्ते वेगा इव नभस्वतः ॥

anyathā paridṛṣṭāni munibhistattvadarśibhiḥ | anyathā parivartante vegā iva nabhasvataḥ

Things that sages who see the truth have perceived one way turn out quite otherwise, like the gusts of the wind.

Verse 34 (3.30.34)

अन्यथैव हि वर्तन्ते पुरुषास्तानि तानि च । अन्यथैव प्रभुस्तानि करोति विकरोति च ॥

anyathaiva hi vartante puruṣāstāni tāni ca | anyathaiva prabhustāni karoti vikaroti ca

Men take these things to be one way, but the Lord makes and unmakes them in quite another way.

Verse 35 (3.30.35)

यथा काष्ठेन वा काष्ठमश्मानं चाश्मना पुनः । अयसा चाप्ययश्छिन्द्यान्निर्विचेष्टमचेतनम् ॥

yathā kāṣṭhena vā kāṣṭhamaśmānaṃ cāśmanā punaḥ | ayasā cāpyayaśchindyānnirviceṣṭamacetanam

As one might cut wood with wood, stone with stone, or iron with iron, things inert and without consciousness,

Verse 36 (3.30.36)

एवं स भगवान्देवः स्वयंभूः प्रपितामहः । निहन्ति भूतैर्भूतानि छद्म कृत्वा युधिष्ठिर ॥

evaṃ sa bhagavāndevaḥ svayaṃbhūḥ prapitāmahaḥ | nihanti bhūtairbhūtāni chadma kṛtvā yudhiṣṭhira

so the blessed god, the Self-born, the great-grandsire, slays beings through beings under a disguise, Yudhishthira.

Verse 37 (3.30.37)

संप्रयोज्य वियोज्यायं कामकारकरः प्रभुः । क्रीडते भगवान्भूतैर्बालः क्रीडनकैरिव ॥

saṃprayojya viyojyāyaṃ kāmakārakaraḥ prabhuḥ | krīḍate bhagavānbhūtairbālaḥ krīḍanakairiva

Joining creatures together and parting them as he pleases, the blessed Lord plays with them as a child plays with toys.

Verse 38 (3.30.38)

न मातृपितृवद्राजन्धाता भूतेषु वर्तते । रोषादिव प्रवृत्तोऽयं यथाऽयमितरो जनः ॥

na mātṛpitṛvadrājandhātā bhūteṣu vartate | roṣādiva pravṛtto'yaṃ yathā'yamitaro janaḥ

The Ordainer does not deal with creatures as a mother or father would, king. He acts as though moved by anger, just like any ordinary man.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रवृत्तो।़यं → प्रवृत्तोऽयं (misprint in Wikisource; a stray danda and nukta stood in place of the avagraha).

Verse 39 (3.30.39)

आर्याञ्शीलवतो दृष्ट्वा ह्रीमतो वृत्तिकर्शितान् । अनार्यान्सुखिनश्चैव विह्वलानिव चिन्तये ॥

āryāñśīlavato dṛṣṭvā hrīmato vṛttikarśitān | anāryānsukhinaścaiva vihvalāniva cintaye

When I see noble people of good conduct and modesty starved of a livelihood, and ignoble people living in comfort, I brood over it as one distraught.

Note on the text: Corrected शीलवो → शीलवतो and हीमतो → ह्रीमतो (misprints in Wikisource; a dropped akshara and a dropped र, as in the critical edition's śīlavato … hrīmato). The second line's विह्वलानिव चिन्तये is a recension variant of the critical edition's vihvalāmīva cintayā and is kept.

Verse 40 (3.30.40)

तवेमामापदं दृष्ट्वा समृद्धिं च सुयोधने । धातारं गर्हये पार्थ विषमं योऽनुपश्यति ॥

tavemāmāpadaṃ dṛṣṭvā samṛddhiṃ ca suyodhane | dhātāraṃ garhaye pārtha viṣamaṃ yo'nupaśyati

Seeing this calamity of yours and the prosperity of Suyodhana, son of Pritha, I condemn the Ordainer, who looks upon things so unequally.

Verse 41 (3.30.41)

आर्यशास्त्रातिगे क्रूरे लुब्धे धर्मापचायिनि । धार्तराष्ट्रे श्रियं दत्त्वा धाता किं फलमश्नुते ॥

āryaśāstrātige krūre lubdhe dharmāpacāyini | dhārtarāṣṭre śriyaṃ dattvā dhātā kiṃ phalamaśnute

What fruit does the Ordainer reap by bestowing fortune on the son of Dhritarashtra, who oversteps the teachings of the noble and is cruel, greedy and a scorner of dharma?

Verse 42 (3.30.42)

कर्म चेत्कृतमन्वेति कर्तारं नान्यमृच्छति । कर्मणा तेन पापेन लिप्यते नूनमीश्वरः ॥

karma cetkṛtamanveti kartāraṃ nānyamṛcchati | karmaṇā tena pāpena lipyate nūnamīśvaraḥ

If a deed that is done follows its doer and reaches no one else, then surely the Lord himself is stained by that sinful deed.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (कर्मचेत्कृतमन्वेति → कर्म चेत्कृतमन्वेति).

Verse 43 (3.30.43)

अथ कर्मकृतं पापं न चेत्कर्तारमृच्छति । कारणं बलमेवेह जनाञ्शोचामि दुर्बलान् ॥

atha karmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ na cetkartāramṛcchati | kāraṇaṃ balameveha janāñśocāmi durbalān

But if the sin committed in a deed does not reach its doer, then mere power is the cause of things here, and I grieve for the weak.