Shloka 20
Strī Parva, Adhyāya 2 — Vidura’s Consolation on Kāla, Karma, and the Limits of Lamentation (विदुरोपदेशः)
आत्मानमात्मना55श्वास्य मा शुचः पुरुषर्षभ । नाद्य शोकाभि भूतस्त्वं कायमुत्स्रष्टमहसि
ātmānam ātmanāśvāsya mā śucaḥ puruṣarṣabha | nādya śokābhibhūtas tvaṃ kāyam utsraṣṭum arhasi ||
Vidura dit : « Raffermis-toi par ta propre force intérieure ; ne t’afflige pas, ô le meilleur des hommes. Aujourd’hui, submergé par le chagrin, tu ne dois pas abandonner ton corps (céder à l’autodestruction). »
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should restrain grief through inner steadiness and self-governance; even in intense sorrow, abandoning life is not dharmic—endurance and composure are urged.
In the aftermath of calamity, Vidura addresses a grieving noble person, urging him to console himself, stop lamenting, and not succumb to despair that could lead to giving up his body.