Shloka 17

अध्याय ६४ — सभामध्ये क्रोध-निवारणम्

Restraint of wrath in the royal assembly

Devanagari script

यस्तु धर्मपरश्न स्याद्धित्वा भर्तुः प्रियाप्रिये | अप्रियाण्याह पथ्यानि तेन राजा सहायवान्‌

Transliteration

yastu dharmaparaśnaḥ syād hitvā bhartuḥ priyāpriye | apriyāṇy āha pathyāni tena rājā sahāyavān ||

Translation

જે ધર્મમાં સ્થિર રહી, સ્વામીના પ્રિય-અપ્રિયનો વિચાર છોડીને, અપ્રિય હોવા છતાં હિતકારક વચન કહે—એ જ રાજાનો સાચો સહાયક છે; એવા સલાહકારથી રાજા ખરેખર આધાર પામે છે.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• धर्म-परः: devoted to dharma
• धर्म-परः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्यात्: should be / would be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा
• Form: Ktva (absolutive/gerund)

• भर्तुः: of the master/lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रिय-अप्रिये: the pleasing and the displeasing (things)
• प्रिय-अप्रिये: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय + अप्रिय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Dual

• अप्रियाणि: unpleasant (things/words)
• अप्रियाणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रिय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• आह: says/speaks
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्
• Form: Perfect (Lit), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पथ्यानि: wholesome/beneficial (words)
• पथ्यानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पथ्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• तेन: by him/with him
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सहायवान्: having a helper; well-supported
• सहायवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहायवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• the king (rājā)
• the master/lord (bhartṛ, i.e., the one served)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king’s best support is a counsellor devoted to dharma who prioritizes beneficial truth over personal safety or the ruler’s momentary pleasure, and who can speak even unwelcome advice for the king’s long-term good.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vidura’s discourse on right conduct and governance, he defines the qualities of a genuine royal adviser: one who does not flatter, but offers salutary guidance grounded in dharma, even when it displeases the ruler.