Shloka 97

Kṛṣṇa at Duryodhana’s House: Refusal of Hospitality and Departure to Vidura (कृष्णस्य धार्तराष्ट्रनिवेशनगमनम्)

Devanagari script

अन्तेषु रेमिरे धीरा न ते मध्येषु रेमिरे । अन्तप्राप्तिं सुखं प्राहुर्द:खमन्तरमेतयो:,धीर पुरुष भोगोंकी अन्तिम स्थितिका सेवन करते हैं। ग्राम्य विषयभोगोंमें आसक्त पुरुष भोगोंकी मध्य स्थितिका ही सेवन करते हैं। वे धीर पुरुष कर्तव्यपालनके रूपमें प्राप्त बड़े-से-बड़े क्लेशोंको सहर्ष सहन करके अन्तमें मनुष्यातीत भोगोंमें रमण करते हैं। महापुरुषोंका कहना है कि अन्तिम (सुख-दुःखसे अतीत) स्थितिकी प्राप्ति ही वास्तविक सुख है तथा सुख-दुःखके बीचकी स्थिति ही दुःख है

Transliteration

anteṣu remire dhīrā na te madhyeṣu remire | antaprāptiṁ sukhaṁ prāhur duḥkham antaram etayoḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The steadfast delight in the end-state, not in the middle. They declare that reaching the end is happiness, while the interval between the two is suffering.

Word by Word

अन्तेषुin the ends / at the final stages

रेमिरेthey delighted / rejoiced

धीराःthe steadfast / wise (men)

नnot

तेthey

मध्येषुin the middles / in the intermediate stages

रेमिरेthey delighted / rejoiced

अन्तप्राप्तिम्attainment of the end / final attainment

सुखम्happiness

प्राहुःthey said / declare

दुःखम्suffering

अन्तरम्the interval / the middle (state)

एतयोःof these two

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

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?

True happiness lies in attaining the final, settled end-state (the fruit of disciplined living and dharma), not in the unstable middle phase of pleasure. The ‘in-between’—the oscillation of pursuit, craving, and partial satisfaction—is identified as suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana delivers a reflective maxim within the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-filled context: he contrasts the wise (dhīra) who endure duty’s hardships for a higher culmination, with those attached to ordinary sense-pleasures who remain fixated on transient enjoyment.