Shloka 9

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

Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट उवाच सर्व त्वमायतीयुक्तं भाषसे प्राज्ञसम्मतम्‌ | न चोत्सहे सुतं त्यक्तुं यतो धर्मस्ततो जय:

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca sarvaṁ tvam āyatīyuktaṁ bhāṣase prājñasammataṁ | na cotsahae sutaṁ tyaktuṁ yato dharmas tato jayaḥ ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „Alles, was du sagst, ist auf das künftige Wohl gerichtet und wird von den Weisen gebilligt. Und wahr ist auch: Der Sieg gehört der Seite, auf der das Dharma steht; doch fehlt mir die Kraft, meinen Sohn zu verlassen.“

Word by Word

• {'dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca': 'Dhṛtarāṣṭra said', 'sarvam': 'all, entirely', 'tvam': 'you', 'āyatī-yuktam': 'connected with what is to come

• farsighted', 'bhāṣase': 'you speak, you say', 'prājña-sammatam': 'approved/endorsed by the wise', 'na ca': 'and yet not', 'utsahae (utsahē/utsahāmi sense)': 'I am able

• I have the resolve/strength', 'sutam': 'son', 'tyaktum': 'to abandon, to give up', 'yataḥ': 'where, on whichever side', 'dharmaḥ': 'dharma

• moral law/duty', 'tataḥ': 'there, on that side', 'jayaḥ': 'victory'}

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• son (Duryodhana implied)
• Vidura (addressed in the received Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when one intellectually recognizes that dharma determines true victory, personal attachment (especially to family) can obstruct ethical action; the verse highlights the gap between moral insight and moral courage.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the lead-up to war, Dhṛtarāṣṭra responds to Vidura’s prudent advice: he admits Vidura’s words are wise and beneficial and agrees that the righteous side wins, but confesses he cannot bring himself to renounce or restrain his son.