Shloka 7

Sabhā-parva Adhyāya 63 — Draupadī’s Contested Status, Vidura’s Warning, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Boons

Devanagari script

प्रातीपेया: शान्तनवा: शृणुध्व॑ काव्यां वाचं संसदि कौरवाणाम्‌ । वैश्वानरं प्रज्वलितं सुघोरं मा यास्यध्वं मन्दमनुप्रपन्ना:,प्रतीप और शन्तनुके वंशजो! कौरवोंकी सभामें मेरी कही हुई बात ध्यानसे सुनो। यह विद्वानोंको भी मान्य है। तुमलोग इस मूर्ख दुर्योधनके पीछे चलकर वैरकी धधकती हुई भयानक आगमें न कूदो

Transliteration

prātīpeyāḥ śāntanavāḥ śṛṇudhva kāvyāṁ vācaṁ saṁsadi kauravāṇām | vaiśvānaraṁ prajvalitaṁ sughoraṁ mā yāsyadhvaṁ mandam anuprapannāḥ ||

Translation

Vidura said: “O descendants of Pratīpa and Śāntanu, listen carefully in the Kaurava assembly to my well-considered words. Do not, by following that dull-witted man, rush into the fiercely blazing and dreadful fire of enmity. Restrain yourselves now, before hatred becomes an inescapable conflagration.”

Word by Word

• {'prātīpeyāḥ': 'descendants of Pratīpa (address to the Kuru line)', 'śāntanavāḥ': 'descendants of Śāntanu', 'śṛṇudhva': 'listen (2nd person plural imperative)', 'kāvyām vācam': 'well-crafted/wise speech

• counsel expressed with deliberation', 'saṁsadi': 'in the assembly, in the court', 'kauravāṇām': 'of the Kauravas

• pertaining to the Kuru court', 'vaiśvānaram': 'fire

• literally ‘Vaiśvānara’, the universal/Agni-fire', 'prajvalitam': 'kindled, blazing forth', 'sughoraṁ': 'very terrible, dreadful', 'mā': 'do not (prohibitive particle)', 'yāsyadhvam': 'you should go/you will go (2nd person plural)', 'mandam': 'a dull/foolish person (here: the misguided leader)', 'anuprapannāḥ': 'having followed after

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Pratīpa
• Śāntanu
• Kauravas (Kuru assembly)
• Vaiśvānara (fire, as metaphor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura warns that following foolish leadership into hostility is like stepping into a raging fire. Ethical governance requires restraint, listening to wise counsel, and preventing enmity from escalating into irreversible destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Kaurava court, Vidura addresses the Kuru elders and princes (descendants of Pratīpa and Śāntanu), urging them to heed his counsel and not to follow the misguided course that would ignite a terrifying conflict.