Shloka 18
उद्योगपर्व अध्याय १३३ — संजये मातृउपदेशः
Udyoga Parva Adhyaya 133 — A Mother’s Counsel to Saṃjaya
जब सेवाका काम करनेवाले दास, भरण-पोषण पानेवाले कुट॒म्बी, आचार्य, ऋत्विक् और पुरोहित जीविकाके अभावमें हमें छोड़कर जाने लगेंगे, उस समय उन्हें देखकर तुझे जीवन-धारणका कोई प्रयोजन नहीं दिखायी देगा ।।
yadā sevakāḥ kāmakaraṇā dāsā bharaṇa-poṣaṇa-prāptāḥ kuṭumbinaḥ ācāryā ṛtvijaḥ purohitāś ca jīvikābhāvena asmān tyaktvā gamiṣyanti, tadā tān dṛṣṭvā tava jīvana-dhāraṇe na kiñcid prayojanaṃ pratibhāsyate. yadi kṛtyaṃ na paśyāmi tavādya'haṃ yathā purā | ślāghanīyaṃ yaśasyaṃ ca kā śāntir hṛdayasya me ||
Wenn die Diener, die den Dienst verrichten, die Hausangehörigen, die von unserer Versorgung leben, und der Lehrer, die opfernden Priester und der Familienpriester—des Lebensunterhalts beraubt—beginnen, uns zu verlassen und fortzugehen, dann wirst du, wenn du sie gehen siehst, keinen Zweck mehr darin erkennen, weiterzuleben. Und wenn ich heute, wie einst, nicht jene rühmlichen Taten von dir sehe, die deinen guten Ruf mehren, welchen Frieden könnte mein Herz dann finden?
पुत्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
A leader’s dharma is measured by sustaining those who depend on him—workers, household dependents, and religious functionaries. When livelihood collapses and dependents depart, life itself feels purposeless; true peace comes from seeing praiseworthy, fame-worthy actions that uphold social and moral obligations.
In a tense admonitory tone, the speaker (identified as ‘the son’) warns the addressee that if support and patronage fail, servants, dependents, and priests will leave for want of livelihood. The speaker then presses for a return to earlier, commendable conduct—actions that build righteous reputation—because without such conduct the speaker’s heart finds no peace.