Shloka 17

उद्योगपर्व (अध्याय १२९) — केशवस्य वैभवप्रदर्शनम् / Krishna’s Theophanic Display in the Kuru Assembly

Devanagari script

सात्यकेस्तद्‌ वच: श्रुत्वा विदुरो दीर्घदर्शिवान्‌,अशक्यमयशस्यं च कर्तु कर्म समुद्यता: । सात्यकिका यह वचन सुनकर दूरदर्शी विदुरने कौरवसभामें महाबाहु धृतराष्ट्रसे कहा --'परंतप नरेश! जान पड़ता है, आपके सभी पुत्र सर्वथा कालके अधीन हो गये हैं। इसीलिये वे यह अकीर्तिकारक और असम्भव कर्म करनेको उतारू हुए हैं

Transliteration

sātyakestadvacaḥ śrutvā viduro dīrghadarśivān | aśakyam ayaśasyaṃ ca kartuṃ karma samudyatāḥ ||

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: لما سمع ويدورا—بعيد النظر، نافذ البصيرة—كلام ساتيَكي، تكلّم محذِّرًا من أن الكاورافا يعزمون على الإقدام على فعلٍ يستحيل إنجازه، ومآله العار لا محالة. وبميزان الدارما، صوّر ويدورا عزمهم على أنه انهيارٌ في الحكم: فإذا سُيِّر المرء بالقدر والغضب والوهم اختار أعمالًا تنتهك الدارما، ولا يحصد في النهاية إلا سوء الصيت بدل الظفر الحق.

Word by Word

• {'sātyakeḥ': 'of Sātyaki', 'tat': 'that', 'vacaḥ': 'speech, words', 'śrutvā': 'having heard', 'viduraḥ': 'Vidura (the wise counselor of the Kuru court)', 'dīrgha-darśivān': 'far-seeing, prudent, one who foresees consequences', 'aśakyam': 'impossible, not feasible', 'ayaśasyam': 'bringing ill-fame, disgraceful', 'ca': 'and', 'kartuṃ': 'to do, to accomplish', 'karma': 'deed, action (often with moral consequence)', 'samudyatāḥ': 'resolved, prepared, set upon (undertaking)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Sātyaki
• Vidura

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura’s warning highlights a dharmic principle: actions chosen without foresight—especially those driven by pride, anger, or fatalism—tend to be both unworkable and dishonorable. True success is inseparable from ethical means; otherwise the outcome is disgrace even if power is temporarily gained.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Sātyaki speaks, Vidura responds as a prudent advisor. He characterizes the Kauravas’ intended course as an impossible and shameful undertaking, signaling that their decision-making has become morally and strategically unsound in the escalating conflict leading toward war.