Shloka 14

Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma

Devanagari script

अलातं तिन्दुकस्येव मुहूर्तमपि विज्वल । मा तुषाग्निरिवानर्चिर्धूमायस्व जिजीविषु:

Transliteration

alātaṁ tindukasyeva muhūrtam api vijvala | mā tuṣāgnir ivānarcir dhūmāy asva jijīviṣuḥ ||

Translation

قال فايُو: «تَوَهَّجْ، ولو لبرهة، كالجَذوة المشتعلة من خشب التِّندُكا—وأبدِ بأسًا حاسمًا أمام العدو. ولكن لا تتحوّل، رغبةً في البقاء، إلى نارِ التبن التي لا لهيب لها ولا تُخرج إلا الدخان؛ ولا ترضَ بجهدٍ خجولٍ عقيم.»

Word by Word

• {'alātam': 'a firebrand, burning stick, glowing ember', 'tindukasya': 'of the tinduka tree (Diospyros

• a hard-wood used as an image of a strong brand)', 'iva': 'like, as', 'muhūrtam': 'a short while

• a muhūrta (a brief time-span)', 'api': 'even, even if', 'vijvala': 'blaze forth

• burn brightly (imperative sense)', 'mā': 'do not (prohibitive particle)', 'tuṣāgniḥ': 'fire made of chaff/husks

• a weak, quickly spent fire', 'anarcis': 'without flame

• flame-less', 'dhūmāy asva': 'smoke only

• emit smoke (imperative sense)', 'jijīviṣuḥ': 'one wishing to live

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Wind-god)
• tinduka-wood (object/image)
• firebrand (alāta)
• chaff-fire (tuṣāgni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even brief but genuine, decisive courage is superior to prolonged, self-preserving timidity. One should act with visible, effective strength rather than merely ‘smoke’—appearing active while avoiding real risk.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu delivers a forceful exhortation, using two fire-images: a strong burning brand (tinduka firebrand) to urge a sudden, unmistakable display of valor, and a flame-less chaff-fire that only smokes to warn against half-hearted action motivated by fear of death.