Shloka 4

अध्याय ३९: विदुरेण धृतराष्ट्राय नीत्युपदेशः

Timely Counsel, Association, and Kin-Duty

Devanagari script

झूठ बोलकर उन्नति करना, राजाके पासतक चुगली करना, गुरुजनपर भी झूठा दोषारोपण करनेका आग्रह करना--ये तीन कार्य ब्रह्महत्याके समान हैं ।। असूयैकपदं मृत्युरतिवाद: श्रियो वध: । अशुश्रूषा त्वरा श्लाघा विद्याया: शत्रवस्त्रय:

Transliteration

asūyaikapadaṁ mṛtyur ativādaḥ śriyo vadhaḥ | aśuśrūṣā tvarā ślāghā vidyāyāḥ śatravas trayaḥ ||

Translation

ヴィドゥラは教える。「偽りによって栄達すること、王の耳に届く讒言をなすこと、そして師に対してさえ虚偽の罪を着せようと執拗に迫ること——この三つの行いは、婆羅門殺し（brahmahatyā）に等しい。さらに、内なる瑕疵もまた露わな暴力のごとく人を滅ぼす。嫉妬へ一歩踏み出すことは死へ一歩近づくこと。軽率で過度な言葉は繁栄を殺す。学びの敵は三つ——長老に仕え耳を傾けぬこと、焦りの速断、そして自讃である。」

Word by Word

असूयाenvy, malice

एकपदम्having one result/step (single outcome)

मृत्युःdeath

अतिवादःexcessive/false speech, slander

श्रियोof prosperity/fortune

वधःdestruction, killing

अशुश्रूषाnon-service, disobedience (to elders/teachers)

त्वराhaste, impatience

श्लाघाself-praise, boasting

विद्यायाःof knowledge/learning

शत्रवःenemies

त्रयःthree

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

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?

Guard the mind and speech: envy leads to ruin, excessive talk destroys prosperity, and learning is obstructed by not serving/listening to elders, by impatient haste, and by self-praise.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, as tensions rise before the Kurukṣetra war, Vidura offers moral and practical counsel (nīti) to restrain harmful tendencies that corrode judgment, relationships, and the capacity to learn from wise guidance.