Shloka 1
हंस–साध्यसंवादः, वाक्-निग्रहः, महाकुल-लक्षणम्, शान्ति-उपायः
Hamsa–Sādhya Dialogue; Restraint of Speech; Marks of Noble Lineage; Means to Peace
पम्प बछ। अंक सप्तत्रिशोड्ध्याय: धृतराष्ट्रके प्रति विदुरजीका हितोपदेश विदुर उवाच सप्तदशेमान् राजेन्द्र मनु: स्वायम्भुवोडब्रवीत् | वैचित्रवीर्य पुरुषानाकाशं मुष्टिभिर्ष्नत:
vidura uvāca | saptadaśemān rājendra manuḥ svāyambhuvo 'bravīt | vaicitravīrya-puruṣān ākāśaṁ muṣṭibhir ghnataḥ | anāmyaṁ varṣākālīndra-dhanuṣaṁ nāmayituṁ ceṣṭamānān | agrāhyāḥ sūrya-raśmīn grahītuṁ prayatamānān iti |
Vidura berkata: “Wahai Raja, putra Vichitravīrya! Svāyambhuva Manu menyebut tujuh belas macam manusia yang usahanya sia-sia—seperti memukul langit dengan kepalan tangan, mencoba membengkokkan pelangi musim hujan yang tak dapat dibengkokkan, atau berusaha menangkap sinar matahari yang tak mungkin digenggam. Demikianlah, segala upaya mereka ditakdirkan gagal.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura warns that some pursuits are inherently futile—like punching the sky or grasping sunrays. A ruler should discern what cannot be achieved by force or stubbornness and avoid wasting effort on impossible or self-defeating aims.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura counsels King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Here he cites Svāyambhuva Manu’s classification of ‘seventeen kinds of men’ whose actions are fruitless, using vivid metaphors to urge practical wisdom and ethical governance.