Mahabharata 33: Every Life Evolves To Rise Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

O Scion of Bharata,
Every life knows to its best
How to evolve to the crest,
Savouring fruits that may befall,
Suffering what to their fate fall,
World witness is to karmas, big and small.
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Here is the transliteration of the original verse:

utthānam abhi-jānantisarva bhūtāni bhārata |
pratyakśham phalam ashnantikarmaņām loka-sākśhikam || vana 32-6

Draupadi was in no mood to give up. She had always been a woman knowing her mind. She responded, ‘I do not disagree with you, but I interpret dharma in a different way. It is the true pursuit of life1. Four pursuits of men are known as purushārthas. By this, everyone's dharma is to pursue his karma. The word utthānam is used here to mean evolution, one's rise and progress from life to life.

Intellectual discussion may often degenerate into debate to prove one's point and disprove the opposite view. Something similar happened here.

1. The four arthas, or dharmas or pursuits in life: According to Indic philosophy, life should be lived in order to fulfil these four pursuits.

1.1 artha: earning one's means for life; this is material well-being.
1.2 sva-artha: Self inerest, Kāma— fulfilment of desires, emotional well-being.
1.3 dharma-artha: Performing one's duty, pursuing righteous, virtuous path.
The above two are to be pursued observing dharma. This is moral well being.
1.4 mokśha-artha: Pursuit of liberation/salvation,
This pre-supposes certain level of evolution for the soul. This is spiritual well being.

Topic: life, evolution