Shloka 9

Tilottamā, Sunda–Upasunda, and the Pāṇḍava Samaya (Ādi Parva 204)

Devanagari script

प्रज्ञावन्ती नरश्रेष्ठावस्मिललोके नराधिप । त्वन्निमित्तमतो नेमौ किंचिज्जिद्यां वदिष्यत:,नरेश्वर! ये दोनों इस लोकमें नरश्रेष्ठ और बुद्धिमान हैं, अतः आपके लिये ये कोई कुटिलतापूर्ण बात नहीं कहेंगे

Transliteration

prajñāvantī naraśreṣṭhāv asmin loke narādhipa | tvannimittam ato nemau kiñcid jidyaṃ vadiṣyataḥ || nareśvara ||

Translation

Vidura said: “O king, these two are the foremost of men and wise in this world. Therefore, for your sake, they will not speak anything crooked or deceitful.”

Word by Word

• प्रज्ञावन्तौ: wise, intelligent (two persons)
• प्रज्ञावन्तौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रज्ञावत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• नरश्रेष्ठौ: best of men (two persons)
• नरश्रेष्ठौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• लोके: world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• त्वत्: because of you / on account of you
• त्वत्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Ablative, Singular

• निमित्तम्: cause, reason
• निमित्तम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमित्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अतः: therefore
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• इमौ: these two
• इमौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• किञ्चित्: anything, at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित्

• जिह्याम्: crooked (speech/statement)
• जिह्याम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिह्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वदिष्यतः: will say/speak (the two will speak)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Dual, Parasmaipada

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men, O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• narādhipa/nareśvara (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura emphasizes ethical speech in counsel: truly wise and noble persons do not resort to deceit, especially when advising a king; integrity is presented as a mark of genuine wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura reassures the king that the two men being referred to are both eminent and intelligent, and thus will not speak any guileful or manipulative words in matters concerning the king.