Shloka 59

Devanagari script

रथ: शरीरं पुरुषस्य राज- न्नात्मा नियन्तेन्द्रियाण्यस्य चाश्वा: | तैरप्रमत्त: कुशली सदश्नै- दन्ति: सुखं याति रथीव धीर:,राजन! मनुष्यका शरीर रथ है, बुद्धि सारथि है और इन्द्रियाँ इसके घोड़े हैं। इनको वशमें करके सावधान रहनेवाला चतुर एवं धीर पुरुष काबूमें किये हुए घोड़ोंसे रथीकी भाँति सुखपूर्वक संसारपथका अतिक्रमण करता है

Transliteration

rathaḥ śarīraṁ puruṣasya rājan ātmā niyantendriyāṇy asya cāśvāḥ | tair apramattaḥ kuśalī sadaśnaiḥ dāntiḥ sukhaṁ yāti rathīva dhīraḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Vidura: «Oh Rey, el cuerpo del hombre es como un carro; el ser interior es su señor, la inteligencia es el auriga, y los sentidos son sus caballos. Quien es vigilante, diestro y disciplinado—manteniendo bien sujetos a esos caballos—recorre el camino del mundo con seguridad y dicha, como un auriga firme que conduce un carro con riendas bien tensas».

Word by Word

• {'rathaḥ': 'chariot (metaphor for the embodied vehicle)', 'śarīram': 'body', 'puruṣasya': 'of a person / of man', 'rājan': 'O king (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'ātmā': 'self

• inner principle (the one who ought to govern)', 'niyantā': 'controller

• guide', 'indriyāṇi': 'senses

• sense-faculties', 'asya': 'of this (person)', 'aśvāḥ': 'horses', 'taiḥ': 'by/with them (i.e., with the senses as instruments when controlled)', 'apramattaḥ': 'unheedless

• not negligent', 'kuśalī': 'skilled

• wise in conduct', 'sadaśnaiḥ': 'with good reins/bridles

• well-reined (i.e., properly restrained)', 'dāntiḥ': 'disciplined

• self-controlled', 'sukham': 'happiness

• well-being', 'yāti': 'goes

• attains', 'rathīva': 'like a charioteer', 'dhīraḥ': 'steadfast

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• chariot (ratha)
• body (śarīra)
• self (ātmā)
• senses (indriyāṇi)
• horses (aśvāḥ)
• reins/bridle (daśnā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True well-being comes from vigilant self-governance: the senses must be restrained and directed by the inner self with skill and steadiness, just as horses are controlled by reins so the chariot can travel safely.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura advises King Dhṛtarāṣṭra on righteous conduct and prudent rule. Here he uses a chariot image to urge inner discipline—warning that uncontrolled senses lead one astray, while restraint enables a secure passage through worldly life.