Shloka 8
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma
उत्तिष्ठ हे कापुरुष मा शेष्वैवं पराजित: । अमित्रान् नन्दयन् सर्वान् निर्मानो बन्धुशोकद:
uttiṣṭha he kāpuruṣa mā śeṣvaivaṁ parājitaḥ | amitrān nandayan sarvān nirmāno bandhuśokadaḥ ||
Vāyu said: “Rise up, you coward. Do not lie at home like this, defeated by your enemies. By such inaction you gladden all your foes; stripped of honour and self-respect, you become a cause of grief to your own kinsmen.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
One must not collapse into helplessness after defeat; inaction strengthens adversaries and harms one’s own community. The verse urges courage, self-respect, and responsible effort aligned with dharma.
Vāyudeva addresses a despondent person, rebuking him as cowardly and commanding him to rise. The speech frames passivity as ethically damaging—bringing joy to enemies and sorrow to relatives—thereby pressing him toward action.