Shloka 17

Adhyāya 129 — Public Acclaim of the Pāṇḍavas and Duryodhana’s Appeal to Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Devanagari script

विदुर उवाच मैवं वदस्व कल्याणि शेषसंरक्षणं कुरु । प्रत्यादिष्टो हि दुष्टात्मा शेषेडपि प्रहरेत्‌ तव,विदुरजीने कहा--कल्याणी! ऐसी बात मुहसे न निकालो, शेष पुत्रोंकी रक्षा करो। यदि दुर्योधनको उलाहना देकर इस विषयमें पूछ-ताछ की जायगी तो वह दुष्टात्मा तुम्हारे शैष पुत्रोंपर भी प्रहार कर सकता है

Transliteration

vidura uvāca māivaṁ vadasva kalyāṇi śeṣa-saṁrakṣaṇaṁ kuru | pratyādiṣṭo hi duṣṭātmā śeṣeṣv api praharet tava ||

Translation

Vidura sprach: „Sprich nicht so, glückverheißende Frau. Triff vielmehr Vorkehrungen, die Verbliebenen zu schützen. Denn wenn man jenen bösen Menschen zur Rede stellt und tadelt, könnte er sogar gegen deine überlebenden Söhne die Hand erheben.“

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'mā', 'definition': 'do not (prohibitive particle)'}, {'term': 'evaṁ', 'definition': 'thus

• in this manner'}, {'term': 'vadasva', 'definition': 'speak (2nd person singular, imperative/benedictive sense)'}, {'term': 'kalyāṇi', 'definition': 'O auspicious one

• noble lady (vocative feminine)'}, {'term': 'śeṣa', 'definition': 'remaining

• those left alive'}, {'term': 'saṁrakṣaṇam', 'definition': 'protection

• safeguarding'}, {'term': 'kuru', 'definition': 'do

• undertake (imperative)'}, {'term': 'pratyādiṣṭaḥ', 'definition': 'rebuked

• confronted (lit. ‘answered back/checked’)'}, {'term': 'hi', 'definition': 'indeed

• for'}, {'term': 'duṣṭātmā', 'definition': 'wicked-minded

• evil-souled person'}, {'term': 'śeṣeṣu api', 'definition': 'even among/against the remaining ones'}, {'term': 'praharet', 'definition': 'might strike

• might attack (optative)'}, {'term': 'tava', 'definition': 'your'}]

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura emphasizes prudent dharma: when facing a powerful wrongdoer, one should prioritize safeguarding the innocent and the survivors rather than provoking retaliation that could worsen harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura counsels a noble woman not to speak in a way that would invite a direct rebuke of Duryodhana; he warns that if confronted, Duryodhana may extend his violence even to her remaining sons, so protective measures should come first.