Shloka 35

धृतराष्ट्रस्य वंशोपदेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Dynastic Counsel on Legitimate Rule

Devanagari script

अनुज्ञया चाथ महाव्रतस्य ब्रूयान्नपो5यं विदुरस्तथैव । कार्य भवेत्‌ तत्‌ सुहृद्धिर्नियोज्यं धर्म पुरस्कृत्य सुदीर्घकालम्‌,“अथवा इन महान्‌ व्रतधारी भीष्मजीकी आज्ञासे यह राजा धृतराष्ट्र तथा विदुर भी इस विषयमें कुछ कह सकते हैं और अन्य सुहृदोंको भी धर्मको सामने रखते हुए उसीका सुदीर्घ कालतक पालन करना चाहिये

Transliteration

anujñayā cātha mahāvratasya brūyān nāpo 'yaṃ viduras tathaiva | kāryaṃ bhavet tat suhṛdbhir niyojyaṃ dharmaṃ puraskṛtya sudīrghakālam ||

Translation

Vidura sprach: „Mit der Erlaubnis jenes Ältesten, der das große Gelübde hält, soll auch dieser Vidura ohne Zögern sprechen. Was zu tun ist, das soll in Beratung mit wohlgesinnten Freunden unternommen werden, das Dharma an die Spitze gestellt und ihm standhaft über lange Zeit gefolgt.“

Word by Word

• {'anujñayā': 'with permission, by consent', 'atha': 'then, now, moreover', 'mahāvratasya': 'of the great vow-observer (an epithet of Bhīṣma)', 'brūyāt': 'should speak, may state', "nāpo 'yam": 'not timid/hesitant is this (i.e., ‘I am not reluctant’)', 'viduraḥ': 'Vidura', 'tathaiva': 'just so, likewise', 'kāryam': 'what is to be done

• necessary action', 'bhavet': 'should be

• ought to become', 'tat': 'that', 'suhṛdbhiḥ': 'by well-wishers, friends', 'niyojyam': 'to be applied/undertaken

• to be enjoined', 'dharmaṃ': 'righteousness, moral law, rightful duty', 'puraskṛtya': 'placing in front

• giving priority to', 'sudīrghakālam': 'for a very long time'}

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Bhishma
• Dhritarashtra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura emphasizes that decisions—especially in crisis—should be made with humility and due deference to elders, but ultimately guided by dharma, supported by the counsel of trustworthy well-wishers, and sustained consistently over time.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the royal deliberations, Vidura seeks (or acknowledges) Bhīṣma’s permission to speak. He then urges that the king and his circle act through consultation with loyal friends, prioritizing dharma as the governing principle.