Shloka 15

Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule

Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38

Devanagari script

यतते चापवादाय यत्नमारभते क्षये

Transliteration

yatate cāpavādāya yatnam ārabhate kṣaye

Translation

Vidura sagt: „Der Mensch müht sich, Tadel auf sich zu ziehen, und beginnt sein Streben nur dem Verderben entgegen.“ Im ethischen Rahmen seiner Mahnung verurteilt diese Zeile selbstzerstörerischen Ehrgeiz: Handlungen aus falschem Urteil, die öffentliche Missbilligung heraufbeschwören und in Verlust statt Wohlergehen enden.

Word by Word

• यतते: strives, makes effort
• यतते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: यत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपवादाय: for censure/blame (for reproach)
• अपवादाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपवाद
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• यत्नम्: effort
• यत्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आरभते: undertakes, begins
• आरभते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: रभ् (धातु) उपसर्ग: आ-
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

• क्षये: in/at (the time of) destruction/decline
• क्षये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Actions pursued with misguided intent often lead to two outcomes: social reproach (apavāda) and personal ruin (kṣaya). Vidura warns that wise effort should aim at welfare and dharma, not at courses that predictably end in disgrace and loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura delivers moral and political counsel (Vidura-nīti) during the tense pre-war negotiations. This verse is part of his admonition against reckless, unrighteous policy that damages one’s reputation and brings destruction.