Shloka 45

Sanatsujāta-Āhvāna (Summoning Sanatsujāta) — Vidura’s Invocation and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Doubt

Devanagari script

श्री: सुखस्येह संवास: सा चापि परिपन्थिनी । ब्राह्मी सुदुर्लभा श्रीहिं प्रज्ञाहीनेन क्षत्रिय

Transliteration

śrīḥ sukhasyeha saṃvāsaḥ sā cāpi paripanthinī | brāhmī sudurlabhā śrīḥ prajñāhīnena kṣatriya, rājan ||

Translation

Sanatsujāta sprach: „In dieser Welt gilt Wohlstand (śrī) als Wohnstatt des Behagens; und doch kann eben dieser Wohlstand auf dem Weg zum wahren Heil wie ein Wegelagerer werden und das höhere Gute behindern. Der ‘brahmische’ Wohlstand jedoch—Reichtum in Gestalt der Brahman-Erkenntnis—ist für einen Menschen ohne Unterscheidungsvermögen überaus schwer zu erlangen, o Kṣatriya-König.“

Word by Word

• श्रीः: fortune, prosperity (Lakṣmī)
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सुखस्य: of happiness
• सुखस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• इह: here, in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• संवासः: dwelling, abode
• संवासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सा: she/that (Lakṣmī)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• परिपन्थिनी: obstructing, hindering (like a highway-robber)
• परिपन्थिनी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिपन्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मी: Brahmic; pertaining to Brahman/knowledge of Brahman
• ब्राह्मी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सुदुर्लभा: very difficult to obtain
• सुदुर्लभा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रीः: fortune (Lakṣmī)
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रज्ञाहीनेन: by/for one devoid of wisdom
• प्रज्ञाहीनेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रज्ञाहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• क्षत्रिय: O Kṣatriya
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

सनत्युजात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanatsujāta
• rājan (the king addressed, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra in context)
• śrī (prosperity/Lakṣmī as a concept)
• brāhmī śrī (spiritual prosperity as a concept)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worldly prosperity can provide comfort yet also obstruct the path of true good by fostering attachment and distraction; only spiritual ‘wealth’ grounded in Brahman-knowledge is truly elevating, and it is rare for those lacking discernment (prajñā).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sanatsujāta-upākhyāna within Udyoga Parva, the sage instructs the king on higher values before the impending war, warning that royal prosperity and pleasure can hinder spiritual progress, while urging the pursuit of wisdom.