Shloka 14

Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma

Devanagari script

अलातं तिन्दुकस्येव मुहूर्तमपि विज्वल । मा तुषाग्निरिवानर्चिर्धूमायस्व जिजीविषु:

Transliteration

alātaṁ tindukasyeva muhūrtam api vijvala | mā tuṣāgnir ivānarcir dhūmāy asva jijīviṣuḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu said: “Blaze up, even if only for a moment, like a burning brand of tinduka-wood—show decisive valor before the foe. But do not, out of a desire to preserve life, become like a fire of chaff that has no flame and only smokes; do not settle for timid, ineffectual effort.”

Word by Word

• {'alātam': 'a firebrand, burning stick, glowing ember', 'tindukasya': 'of the tinduka tree (Diospyros

• a hard-wood used as an image of a strong brand)', 'iva': 'like, as', 'muhūrtam': 'a short while

• a muhūrta (a brief time-span)', 'api': 'even, even if', 'vijvala': 'blaze forth

• burn brightly (imperative sense)', 'mā': 'do not (prohibitive particle)', 'tuṣāgniḥ': 'fire made of chaff/husks

• a weak, quickly spent fire', 'anarcis': 'without flame

• flame-less', 'dhūmāy asva': 'smoke only

• emit smoke (imperative sense)', 'jijīviṣuḥ': 'one wishing to live

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Wind-god)
• tinduka-wood (object/image)
• firebrand (alāta)
• chaff-fire (tuṣāgni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even brief but genuine, decisive courage is superior to prolonged, self-preserving timidity. One should act with visible, effective strength rather than merely ‘smoke’—appearing active while avoiding real risk.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu delivers a forceful exhortation, using two fire-images: a strong burning brand (tinduka firebrand) to urge a sudden, unmistakable display of valor, and a flame-less chaff-fire that only smokes to warn against half-hearted action motivated by fear of death.