Shloka 17
नारदेन धृतराष्ट्रगतिवर्णनम् | Nārada’s Account of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Future Course
“महाराज! तुम्हारे भाई विदुर देवताओंके भी देवता सनातन धर्म थे। मनके द्वारा धर्मका धारण और ध्यान किया जाता है, इसलिये विद्वान् पुरुष उन्हें धर्मके नामसे जानते हैं ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | mahārāja! tava bhrātā viduro devatānām api devatā sanātano dharmaḥ | manasā dharmo dhāryate dhyāyate ca, tasmād vidvāṃsaḥ taṃ dharmeti nāmnā jānanti || satyena saṃvardhayati yo damena śamena ca | ahiṃsayā ca dānena tapyamānaḥ sanātanaḥ || yo hi satya-indriya-saṃyama-mano-nigraha-ahiṃsā-dāna-rūpeṇa sevitaḥ sanātana-dharmaḥ jagato 'bhyudayasya sādhakaḥ, sa vidurād bhinnaḥ na bhavati |
Vaiśampāyana said: “O great king, your brother Vidura was the eternal Dharma—indeed, a divinity even among the gods. Dharma is upheld and contemplated by the mind; therefore the wise recognize him by the very name ‘Dharma.’ That eternal Dharma, when cultivated through truthfulness, restraint of the senses, tranquility of mind, non-violence, and generosity, becomes the means of the world’s welfare and uplift; and that Dharma is not different from Vidura.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not merely a concept but a lived discipline: truthfulness, sense-restraint (dama), mental tranquility (śama), non-violence (ahiṃsā), and generosity (dāna). When these are practiced, eternal Dharma becomes the cause of the world’s welfare (abhyudaya). Vidura is presented as the embodiment of that Dharma.
Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and praises Vidura, identifying him with eternal Dharma itself. The passage explains why the wise call him ‘Dharma’ and lists the virtues through which Dharma is cultivated, concluding that such Dharma is not separate from Vidura.