Shloka 83

Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule

Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38

Devanagari script

सहस्रिणो5पि जीवन्ति जीवन्ति शतिनस्तथा । धृतराष्ट्र विमुज्चेच्छां न कथज्चिन्न जीव्यते

Transliteration

sahasriṇo 'pi jīvanti jīvanti śatino tathā | dhṛtarāṣṭra vimuccechāṃ na kathaṃcin na jīvyate ||

Translation

Vidura says: “Even those who possess a thousand live, and those who possess only a hundred also live. Therefore, O Dhṛtarāṣṭra, abandon excessive craving; it is not true that without more one cannot live at all.”

Word by Word

• सहस्रिणः: those having a thousand (wealth)
• सहस्रिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• जीवन्ति: live
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• जीवन्ति: live
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• शतिनः: those having a hundred (wealth)
• शतिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शतिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise/so too
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• धृतराष्ट्र: O Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विमुञ्च: release/abandon
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-मुच्
• Form: Imperative, Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इच्छाम्: desire
• इच्छाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• कथञ्चित्: in any way/at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथञ्चित्

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• जीव्यते: one lives / it is lived
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Atmanepada (Passive)

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura teaches that survival does not depend on ever-increasing wealth; both the relatively rich and the modestly provided live. Therefore one should relinquish excessive desire (lobha/ati-icchā) and choose restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura counsels King Dhṛtarāṣṭra during the tense pre-war deliberations, urging him to curb greed and attachment that cloud judgment and push the Kuru court toward destructive conflict.