Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अपर चतु:षष्टितमो<5 ध्याय: विदुरका कौटुम्बिक कलहसे हानि बताते हुए धृतराष्ट्रको संधिकी सलाह देना विदुर उवाच शकुनीनामिहार्थाय पाशं भूमावयोजयत्‌ । वश्चिच्छाकुनिकस्तात पूर्वेषामिति शुश्रुम

Transliteration

vidura uvāca | śakunīnām ihārthāya pāśaṃ bhūmāv ayojayat | vaśaś cicchākunikas tāta pūrveṣām iti śuśruma ||

Translation

Vidura said: “For the sake of the Śakunis, he set a snare upon the ground. And, dear one, we have heard from the ancients that even the hunter himself can come under the power of the very snare he lays.”

Word by Word

विदुरःVidura

उवाचsaid

शकुनीनाम्of the birds / of Shakuni-s

इहhere

अर्थायfor the sake (of)

पाशम्a noose / snare

भूमौon the ground

अयोजयत्placed / set (caused to be joined)

वःof you (pl.) / your

चand

इच्छाdesire / intention

कौनिकःof the weaver (by trade) / weaver-like

तातdear one / father (voc.)

पूर्वेषाम्of the former ones / of the predecessors

इतिthus (quotative)

शुश्रुमwe have heard

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied addressee by context)

śākunika (bird-catcher/fowler)

pāśa (snare/noose)

śakuni (birds; contextual resonance with the name Śakuni)

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?

One who lays traps for others—through deceit, manipulation, or harmful strategy—can become ensnared by the same mechanism; ethical governance requires avoiding such entangling schemes and seeking reconciliation (sandhi) over stratagem.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura is advising Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the Udyoga Parva, warning him—through a proverbial image of a fowler’s snare—that the Kauravas’ plotting and coercive tactics (associated with Śakuni’s counsel) will rebound, urging a policy of peace and settlement.