Shloka 56

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय 33: धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर संवादः (विदुरनीतिः)

Devanagari script

अविजित्य य आत्मानममात्यान्‌ विजिगीषते । अमित्रान्‌ वाजितामात्य: सोडवश: परिहीयते,इन्द्रियोंसहित मनको जीते बिना ही जो मन्त्रियोंको जीतनेकी इच्छा करता है या मन्त्रियोंको अपने अधीन किये बिना शत्रुको जीतना चाहता है, उस अजितेन्द्रिय पुरुषको सब लोग त्याग देते हैं

Transliteration

avijitya ya ātmānam amātyān vijigīṣate | amitrān vā ajitāmātyaḥ so 'vaśaḥ parihīyate ||

Translation

Vidura dit : Celui qui ne s’est pas d’abord vaincu lui-même et pourtant veut soumettre ses ministres; ou celui qui, sans tenir ses ministres en main, souhaite vaincre ses ennemis—un tel homme, privé de maîtrise des sens et de discipline intérieure, est délaissé de tous et tombe dans la ruine, sans recours.

Word by Word

अविजित्यwithout conquering

यःwho

आत्मानम्oneself

अमात्यान्ministers/counsellors

विजिगीषतेwishes to conquer

अमित्रान्enemies

वाor

अजितामात्यःone whose ministers are unconquered (i.e., not brought under control)

सःhe

अवशःhelpless/without control

परिहीयतेis abandoned/left behind

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

ātmā (self)

amātya (ministers/counsellors)

amitra (enemies)

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?

Effective rule and victory begin with self-mastery. Without conquering one’s own impulses and disciplining one’s inner life, attempts to control ministers or defeat enemies collapse; such a leader loses support and falls into helpless decline.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vidura’s counsel during the Udyoga Parva, he lays down a principle of political and ethical governance: a king must first govern himself, then his administration (ministers), and only then can he hope to prevail over external foes.