Shloka 1

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34 — Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship

Devanagari script

ऑपन-मा_ज बक। डे पजञ्चत्रिशो<ड्ध्याय: विदुरके द्वारा केशिनीके लिये सुधन्‍्वाके साथ विरोचनके विवादका वर्णन करते हुए धृतराष्ट्रको धर्मोपदेश ध्ृतराष्टर उवाच ब्रूहि भूयो महाबुद्धे धर्मार्थसहितं वच: । शृण्वतो नास्ति मे तृप्तिविचित्राणीह भाषसे

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | brūhi bhūyo mahābuddhe dharmārthasahitaṃ vacaḥ | śṛṇvato nāsti me tṛptir vicitrāṇīha bhāṣase ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Speak again, O great-minded one, words that unite dharma and practical good. As I listen, I find no satiety—so varied and instructive are the things you speak here.”

Word by Word

• {'dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca': 'Dhṛtarāṣṭra said', 'brūhi': 'tell, speak', 'bhūyaḥ': 'again, once more', 'mahābuddhe': 'O one of great intellect', 'dharma-artha-sahitam': 'joined with dharma (righteousness) and artha (practical welfare/policy)', 'vacaḥ': 'speech, words, statement', 'śṛṇvataḥ': 'of me who is listening

• while listening', 'nāsti': 'there is not', 'me': 'for me', 'tṛptiḥ': 'satisfaction, satiety, contentment', 'vicitrāṇi': 'varied, many-sided, diverse', 'iha': 'here (in this context/conversation)', 'bhāṣase': 'you speak, you explain'}

Speaker

ध्ृतराष्टर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra explicitly values instruction that integrates dharma (moral right) with artha (practical benefit/statecraft), implying that ethical guidance should also be workable in real governance and personal conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, listening to a wise counselor’s discourse, asks him to continue speaking. He says he is not yet satisfied because the teachings are rich and varied, and he wants more guidance.