Shloka 63

Devanagari script

लताधर्मा त्वं सपुत्र: शाला: पाण्डुसुता मता: । न लता वर्धते जातु महाद्रुममनाश्रिता,अपने पुत्रोंसहित आप लताके समान हैं और पाण्डव महान्‌ शालवृक्षके सदृश हैं; महान्‌ वृक्षका आश्रय लिये बिना लता कभी बढ़ नहीं सकती

Transliteration

latādharmā tvaṃ saputraḥ śālāḥ pāṇḍusutā matāḥ | na latā vardhate jātu mahādrumam anāśritā ||

Translation

Vidura said: “You, together with your sons, are like a creeping vine, while the sons of Pāṇḍu are regarded as great śāla trees. A vine never truly grows unless it takes support from a mighty tree.”

Word by Word

लताcreeper, vine

धर्माnature, character (having the nature of)

त्वम्you

सwith

पुत्रःson

शालाःśāla trees

पाण्डुof Pāṇḍu

सुताःsons

मताःare considered, are regarded

नnot

लताa creeper

वर्धतेgrows

जातुever, at any time

महाद्रुमम्a great tree

अनाश्रिताnot having taken refuge in, not supported by

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

Duryodhana (implied as 'you')

Kauravas (implied as 'your sons')

Pāṇḍavas

Pāṇḍu

latā (vine/creeper)

mahādruma (great tree)

śāla tree

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the weak or unstable should not act in arrogant independence against the strong and righteous; like a vine, one prospers by taking proper support—through humility, wise alliance, and adherence to dharma—rather than by antagonism.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura counsels the Kuru side (addressing Duryodhana and his party) during the tense pre-war negotiations. Using a metaphor, he warns that opposing the Pāṇḍavas is self-destructive and urges a policy of reconciliation and prudent dependence instead of confrontation.