Shloka 10

अध्याय ३९: विदुरेण धृतराष्ट्राय नीत्युपदेशः

Timely Counsel, Association, and Kin-Duty

Devanagari script

अजोक्षा चन्दनं वीणा आदर्शो मधुसर्पिषी । विषमौदुम्बरं शड्ख: स्वर्णनाभो5थ रोचना,भारत! मनुजीने कहा है कि देवता, ब्राह्मण तथा अतिथियोंकी पूजाके लिये बकरी, बैल, चन्दन, वीणा, दर्पण, मधु, घी, जल, ताँबेके बर्तन, शंख, शालग्राम और गोरोचन--ये सब वस्तुएँ घरपर रखनी चाहिये

Transliteration

ajokṣā candanaṁ vīṇā ādarśo madhusarpiṣī | viṣam audumbaraṁ śaṅkhaḥ svarṇanābho 'tha rocanā, bhārata! |

Translation

Vidura sprach: „O Bhārata, man sollte daheim gewisse glückverheißende und diensttaugliche Dinge bereithalten—eine Ziege, einen Stier, Sandelholz, eine Vīṇā, einen Spiegel, Honig und Ghee, Wasser, Kupfergefäße, eine Muschel (Conch), einen Śālagrāma und Gorocanā—damit man den Göttern, den Brāhmaṇas und den Gästen ohne Verzug und in Ehrfurcht die gebührende Verehrung erweisen kann.“

Word by Word

अजgoat

उक्षाbull

चand

चन्दनम्sandalwood

वीणाlute (vīṇā)

आदर्शःmirror

मधुhoney

सर्पिषीand ghee (clarified butter) (dual with मधु)

विषमuneven; (here) two dissimilar items (dual)

औदुम्बरम्udumbara-wood vessel/object (fig-tree wood)

शङ्खःconch

स्वर्णनाभःgolden-naveled one; (name/epithet of an item, often a śālagrāma/stone)

अथthen; and further

रोचनाrocana; (commonly) gorocanā (yellow pigment)

भारतO Bhārata

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)

goat (ajokṣā)

sandalwood (candana)

vīṇā

mirror (ādarśa)

honey (madhu)

ghee (sarpiṣ)

udumbara-wood implement/vessel (audumbara)

conch (śaṅkha)

svarṇanābha (gold-adorned auspicious object)

gorocanā (rocanā)

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?

A householder should be materially prepared to honor gods, brāhmaṇas, and guests. Dharma is expressed through timely hospitality and reverent service, supported by keeping appropriate auspicious and ritual items at home.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vidura’s counsel during Udyoga Parva, he instructs the king (addressed as Bhārata) on practical aspects of righteous conduct—here, listing items traditionally kept to perform worship and to receive guests properly, reinforcing social and religious obligations amid political tension.