Shloka 83

Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition

Devanagari script

षण्णामात्मनि नित्यानामैश्वर्य योडथिगच्छति । न स पापै: कुतो<नर्थर्युज्यते विजितेन्द्रिय:,मनमें नित्य रहनेवाले छ: शत्रु (काम, क्रोध, लोभ, मोह, मद तथा मात्सर्य)-को जो वशमें कर लेता है, वह जितेन्द्रिय पुरुष पापोंसे ही लिप्त नहीं होता, फिर उनसे उत्पन्न होनेवाले अनर्थोंसे युक्त होनेकी तो बात ही क्या है?

Transliteration

ṣaṇṇām ātmani nityānām aiśvaryaṃ yo ’dhigacchati | na sa pāpaiḥ kuto ’narthair yujyate vijitendriyaḥ ||

Translation

Vidura spricht: Wer sich selbst beherrscht und die sechs stets im Innern wohnenden Feinde—Begierde, Zorn, Gier, Verblendung, Hochmut und Neid—bezwingt, wird von Sünde nicht befleckt; wie sollte er dann in das Unheil und den Schaden verstrickt werden, die aus Sünde hervorgehen?

Word by Word

षण्णाम्of six

आत्मनिin oneself

नित्यानाम्of constant/ever-present (ones)

ऐश्वर्याणिmasteries/powers (over)

यःwho

अधिगच्छतिattains/obtains

नnot

सःhe

पापैःby/with sins

कुतःwhence/how then

अनर्थैःby/with misfortunes/evils

युज्यतेis yoked/connected; is afflicted

विजितेन्द्रियःone who has conquered the senses

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

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?

Mastery over the six inner enemies (desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride, envy) is the foundation of ethical life: when the senses are conquered, sin does not cling, and therefore the downstream harms born of sin also cannot bind a person.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura delivers moral and political counsel (nīti) during the tense pre-war negotiations. Here he emphasizes inner discipline as the root of faultless conduct, implying that true safety and well-being come from self-mastery rather than external power.