Shloka 18

विदुरस्य कृष्णं प्रति शमोपदेशः

Vidura’s Counsel to Krishna on the Limits of Peace

Devanagari script

कृतार्था भुज्जते दूता: पूजां गृह्नन्ति चैव ह । कृतार्थ मां सहामात्यं समर्चिष्यसि भारत

Transliteration

kṛtārthā bhuñjate dūtāḥ pūjāṃ gṛhṇanti caiva ha | kṛtārthaṃ māṃ sahāmātyaṃ samarcayiṣyasi bhārata ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „Es ist eine feststehende Regel, dass Gesandte Speise und Ehren erst annehmen, nachdem ihr Auftrag erfüllt ist. Darum, o Bhārata, wenn mein Zweck erreicht ist, sollst du mich dann zusammen mit meinen Ministern gebührend ehren.“

Word by Word

• कृतार्थाः: having accomplished the purpose / successful
• कृतार्थाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भुञ्जते: eat / partake (of food)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• दूताः: messengers
• दूताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पूजाम्: honour / worship / respectful reception
• पूजाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गृह्णन्ति: accept / take
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

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

• एव: indeed / only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• कृतार्थम्: having achieved the purpose / successful
• कृतार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• अमात्यम्: minister / counsellor
• अमात्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमात्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समर्चिष्यसि: you will honour / worship / receive respectfully
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भारत: O Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• dūta (envoy/messenger)
• Bhārata (Kuru descendant, addressee)
• āmātya (ministers/counsellors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse states a norm of diplomatic ethics: an envoy should not accept hospitality or honors until the assigned mission is successfully completed, emphasizing integrity, restraint, and prioritizing duty over personal comfort.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a statement about proper treatment of an envoy: the addressee (a Bhārata/Kuru prince) is asked to postpone formal honoring of the speaker and his ministers until the envoy’s objective has been achieved.