Shloka 30

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

Devanagari script

प्रह्माद उवाच अथ यो नैव प्रब्रूयात्‌ सत्यं वा यदि वानृतम्‌ । एतत्‌ सुधन्वन्‌ पृच्छामि दुर्विवक्ता सम कि वसेत्‌,प्रह्नमादने कहा--सुधन्वन्‌! अब मैं तुमसे यह बात पूछता हूँ--जो सत्य न बोले अथवा अस॒त्य निर्णय करे, ऐसे दुष्ट वक्ताकी क्या स्थिति होती है?

Transliteration

Prahlāda uvāca: atha yo naiva prabrūyāt satyaṃ vā yadi vānṛtam | etat sudhanvan pṛcchāmi durvivaktā sa kiṃ vaset ||

Translation

Prahlāda said: “Now, Sudhanvan, I ask you this: what becomes of a wicked speaker—one who does not speak the truth, or who, when called upon to decide, delivers a false judgment?”

Word by Word

प्रह्लादःPrahlāda

उवाचsaid

अथthen/now

यःwho (he who)

नnot

एवindeed/at all

प्रब्रूयात्should say/utter

सत्यम्truth

वाor

यदिif

वाor

अनृतम्untruth/falsehood

एतत्this (matter)

सुधन्वन्O Sudhanvan

पृच्छामिI ask

दुर्विवक्ताa bad speaker/evil advocate

सम्well/altogether (intensifier; as in 'how indeed')

किम्what?

वसेत्should dwell/remain (be situated)

Speaker

प्रह्माद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Prahlāda

Sudhanvan

Sandhi Notes