Shloka 21

प्रसादो निष्फलो यस्य क्रोधश्चापि निरर्थक: । न तं भर्तारमिच्छन्ति षण्ढं पतिमिव स्त्रिय:,जिसकी प्रसन्नताका कोई फल नहीं और क्रोध भी व्यर्थ है, उसको प्रजा स्वामी बनाना नहीं चाहती--जैसे स्त्री नपुंसकको पति नहीं बनाना चाहती

prasādo niṣphalo yasya krodhaścāpi nirarthakaḥ | na taṃ bhartāram icchanti ṣaṇḍhaṃ patim iva striyaḥ ||

যাৰ প্ৰসাদ ফলহীন আৰু ক্ৰোধো নিৰর্থক, তাক প্ৰজাই অধিপতি হিচাপে নাচায়—যেনেকৈ নাৰীসকলে নপুংসকক স্বামী হিচাপে নাচায়।

प्रसादःfavor, graciousness
प्रसादः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootप्रसाद
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
निष्फलःfruitless
निष्फलः:
TypeAdjective
Rootनिष्फल
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
यस्यwhose
यस्य:
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
क्रोधःanger
क्रोधः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootक्रोध
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अपिalso, even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
निरर्थकःmeaningless, futile
निरर्थकः:
TypeAdjective
Rootनिरर्थक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
तम्him
तम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
भर्तारम्protector, lord, husband (as master)
भर्तारम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootभर्तृ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
इच्छन्तिdesire, want
इच्छन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootइष्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
षण्ढम्eunuch, impotent man
षण्ढम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootषण्ढ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
पतिम्husband, lord
पतिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपति
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
इवlike, as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
स्त्रियःwomen
स्त्रियः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootस्त्री
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural

विदुर उवाच

V
Vidura
P
people/subjects (prajā implied)
W
women (striyaḥ)
I
impotent man/eunuch (ṣaṇḍha)

Educational Q&A

Leadership must have effective incentives and deterrents: a ruler’s favor should produce tangible protection or reward, and his anger (punishment) should meaningfully restrain misconduct. If both are ineffective, subjects lose respect and do not accept him as their protector.

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura delivers counsel on statecraft and dharma in the tense lead-up to war. Here he characterizes a weak, ineffectual lord—whose rewards and punishments do not function—as unfit to be accepted by the people.