Shloka 9

Tilottamā, Sunda–Upasunda, and the Pāṇḍava Samaya (Ādi Parva 204)

Devanagari script

प्रज्ञावन्ती नरश्रेष्ठावस्मिललोके नराधिप । त्वन्निमित्तमतो नेमौ किंचिज्जिद्यां वदिष्यत:,नरेश्वर! ये दोनों इस लोकमें नरश्रेष्ठ और बुद्धिमान हैं, अतः आपके लिये ये कोई कुटिलतापूर्ण बात नहीं कहेंगे

Transliteration

prajñāvantī naraśreṣṭhāv asmin loke narādhipa | tvannimittam ato nemau kiñcid jidyaṃ vadiṣyataḥ || nareśvara ||

Translation

Vidura dit : «Ô roi, ces deux-là sont les meilleurs des hommes et les sages de ce monde. Aussi, pour toi, ils ne diront rien de tortueux ni de trompeur.»

Word by Word

प्रज्ञावन्तौwise, intelligent (two persons)

नरश्रेष्ठौbest of men (two persons)

अस्मिन्in this

लोकेworld

नराधिपO king (lord of men)

त्वत्because of you / on account of you

निमित्तम्cause, reason

अतःtherefore

नnot

इमौthese two

किञ्चित्anything, at all

जिह्याम्crooked (speech/statement)

वदिष्यतःwill say/speak (the two will speak)

नरेश्वरO lord of men, O king

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

narādhipa/nareśvara (the king addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura emphasizes ethical speech in counsel: truly wise and noble persons do not resort to deceit, especially when advising a king; integrity is presented as a mark of genuine wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura reassures the king that the two men being referred to are both eminent and intelligent, and thus will not speak any guileful or manipulative words in matters concerning the king.