Shloka 29

आदि पर्व — अध्याय १०६

Pāṇḍu’s Gifts, Forest Residence, and Vidura’s Marriage

Devanagari script

धर्मो विदुररूपेण शापात्‌ तस्य महात्मन: । माण्डव्यस्यार्थतत्त्वज्ञ: कामक्रोधविवर्जित:,महात्मा माण्डव्यके शापसे साक्षात्‌ धर्मराज ही विदुररूपमें उत्पन्न हुए थे। वे अर्थतत्त्वके ज्ञाता और काम-क्रोधसे रहित थे

Transliteration

dharmaḥ vidurarūpeṇa śāpāt tasya mahātmanaḥ | māṇḍavyasyārthatattvajñaḥ kāmakrodhavivarjitaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Aufgrund des Fluches des großgesinnten Māṇḍavya wurde Dharma selbst in der Gestalt Viduras geboren. Er kannte die wahren Grundsätze von nīti und artha und war frei von Begierde und Zorn; so verkörperte er Rechtschaffenheit in Wandel und Rat.

Word by Word

धर्मःDharma (the god of righteousness)

विदुर-रूपेणin the form of Vidura

शापात्from/owing to a curse

तस्यof him

महात्मनःof the great-souled one

माण्डव्यस्यof (sage) Māṇḍavya

अर्थ-तत्त्व-ज्ञःknower of the true nature of meaning/realities

काम-क्रोध-विवर्जितःfree from desire and anger

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dharma

Vidura

Māṇḍavya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharma expresses itself through self-mastery and clear discernment: one who is free from desire and anger and understands artha-tattva (the real principles of conduct and governance) becomes a reliable guide for society.

What is happening in the narrative?

The text explains Vidura’s origin: due to Sage Māṇḍavya’s curse, Dharma is born on earth as Vidura, characterized by wisdom in artha (practical ethics/statecraft) and freedom from kāma and krodha.