Shloka 104

Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition

Devanagari script

य:ः काममन्यू प्रजहाति राजा पात्रे प्रतिष्ठापयते धनं च । विशेषविच्छुतवान्‌ क्षिप्रकारी त॑ सर्वलोक: कुरुते प्रमाणम्‌

Transliteration

yaḥ kāma-manyū prajahāti rājā pātre pratiṣṭhāpayate dhanaṃ ca | viśeṣa-vicchutavān kṣiprakārī taṃ sarvalokaḥ kurute pramāṇam ||

Translation

Vidura says: “The king who abandons desire and anger, and who places wealth in worthy recipients, who is discerning and learned, and who acts promptly in what ought to be done—such a ruler is accepted by all people as an authority; his conduct and words become a standard for others.”

Word by Word

• {'yaḥ': 'who (he who)', 'kāma': 'desire, craving (especially self-serving desire)', 'manyu': 'anger, wrath', 'prajahāti': 'abandons, gives up completely', 'rājā': 'king, ruler', 'pātra': 'a worthy person

• a fit recipient (of gifts, trust, office)', 'pratiṣṭhāpayate': 'places, establishes, entrusts (properly allocates)', 'dhanam': 'wealth, resources', 'ca': 'and', 'viśeṣa': 'distinction, discernment, expertise', 'vicchutavān': 'endowed with discernment/skill

• possessing discriminative insight', 'kṣiprakārī': 'one who acts quickly

• prompt in action', 'tam': 'him', 'sarvalokaḥ': 'all people

• the whole world', 'kurute': 'makes, regards, treats as', 'pramāṇam': 'authority, standard, reliable measure (normative proof)'}

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• rājā (the king/ruler)
• sarvaloka (the people/world)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler becomes trustworthy and authoritative through self-mastery (renouncing desire and anger), ethical stewardship of wealth (supporting worthy recipients), discernment, learning, and prompt performance of duty; such conduct naturally earns universal confidence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vidura’s counsel during the Udyoga Parva, he describes the qualities of an ideal king. He explains why a disciplined, discerning, and duty-focused ruler—who allocates resources to the deserving—comes to be accepted by society as a reliable standard (pramāṇa).