Shloka 19
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma
बेटा! धर्मको आगे रखकर या तो पराक्रम प्रकट कर अथवा उस गतिको प्राप्त हो जा, जो समस्त प्राणियोंके लिये निश्चित है, अन्यथा किसलिये जी रहा है? ।। इष्टापूर्त हि ते क्लीब कीर्तिश्न सकला हता । विच्छिन्नं भोगमूलं ते किनिमित्तं हि जीवसि
Vāyudeva uvāca: Vatsa! dharmam agre kṛtvā vā parākramaṁ prakaṭaya athavā tāṁ gatiṁ prāpnuhi yā sarva-prāṇināṁ niyatā; anyathā kimarthaṁ jīvasi? Iṣṭāpūrtaṁ hi te klība kīrtiś ca sakalā hatā; vicchinnaṁ bhoga-mūlaṁ te kim-nimittaṁ hi jīvasi?
Vāyu berkata, “Anakku, tempatkan dharma di depan: perlihatkan keberanianmu, atau capailah takdir yang pasti bagi semua makhluk. Jika tidak, untuk apa engkau hidup? Wahai pengecut, jasa-jasa persembahanmu dan seluruh kemasyhuranmu telah hancur; akar kenikmatanmu pun telah terputus. Maka untuk alasan apa engkau masih hidup?”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma must lead one’s choices: a warrior should either act with righteous courage or accept the inevitable end; living without honor, purpose, and moral resolve is condemned as empty.
Vāyudeva addresses a hesitant or dejected figure, sharply rebuking him for loss of courage and urging him to uphold dharma through valor; otherwise, he should accept death, since his merit, fame, and the basis of worldly enjoyment are said to be already destroyed.