Shloka 114

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

Devanagari script

देशाचारान्‌ समयाञ्जातिधर्मान्‌ बुभूषते यः: स परावरज्ञ: । स यत्र तत्राभिगत: सदैव महाजनस्याधिपत्यं करोति

Transliteration

deśācārān samayān jātidharmān bubhūṣate yaḥ sa parāvarajñaḥ | sa yatra tatrābhigataḥ sadaiva mahājanasya adhipatyaṃ karoti ||

Translation

One who seeks to understand, in their true spirit, the customs of a land, the proper conduct for occasions, and the duties of different communities gains discernment between what is higher and what is lower. Such a person, wherever he goes, naturally establishes authority and influence over great assemblies of people.

Word by Word

• {'deśa-ācārān': 'customs and practices of a region/country', 'samayān': 'occasions

• proper times and situational norms', 'jāti-dharmān': 'duties/laws proper to social groups or communities', 'bubhūṣate': 'desires to know

• seeks to understand (intensively)', 'yaḥ': 'who (the person who)', 'saḥ': 'he (such a person)', 'parāvara-jñaḥ': 'knower of higher and lower

• one with discernment of relative worth', 'yatra tatra': 'wherever

• in any place', 'abhigataḥ': 'having arrived

• having approached/entered', 'sadaiva': 'always

• invariably', 'mahā-janasya': 'of the great people/large public

• of eminent persons or a great assembly', 'adhipatyam': 'lordship

• mastery', 'karoti': 'does

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• mahājana (great people/assembly)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True leadership arises from practical wisdom: understanding local customs (deśācāra), situational propriety (samaya), and community duties (jātidharma) gives one discernment (parāvara-jñāna), enabling effective and respected authority among people.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vidura’s counsel during the Udyoga Parva, he articulates a principle of statecraft and conduct: a person who studies and understands social norms and dharma as actually practiced becomes capable of guiding and influencing assemblies wherever he goes.