Shloka 131

अध्याय ३९: विदुरेण धृतराष्ट्राय नीत्युपदेशः

Timely Counsel, Association, and Kin-Duty

Devanagari script

गृहे स्थापयितव्यानि धन्यानि मनुरब्रवीत्‌ । देवब्राह्मणपूजार्थमतिथीनां च भारत

Transliteration

gṛhe sthāpayitavyāni dhanyāni manur abravīt | devabrāhmaṇapūjārtham atithīnāṃ ca bhārata ||

Translation

Vidura sprach: „Manu hat verkündet, dass man im Hause Vorräte an Korn und Vermögen bereithalten soll, o Bhārata, um die Götter und die Brāhmaṇas zu ehren und Gäste gebührend zu empfangen.“

Word by Word

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्थापयितव्यानि: to be stored/kept (must be placed)
• स्थापयितव्यानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थापयितव्य (from धातु √स्था with causative स्थापय-)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• धन्यानि: grains
• धन्यानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• मनुः: Manu
• मनुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• देवब्राह्मणपूजार्थम्: for the purpose of worship of gods and Brahmins
• देवब्राह्मणपूजार्थम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ब्राह्मण + पूजा + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अतिथीनाम्: of guests
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

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

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Manu
• Devas
• Brāhmaṇas
• Atithi (guest)
• Bhārata (addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A householder should maintain reserves of food/wealth so that dharmic obligations—worship and honoring gods and brāhmaṇas, and hospitality to guests—can be fulfilled promptly. Resources are to be stewarded for duty and generosity, not mere accumulation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vidura’s counsel during the Udyoga Parva, he cites Manu as an authority to instruct the Kuru elder (addressed as ‘Bhārata’) on proper household conduct: keeping provisions at home to support ritual honor and the reception of guests.