Shloka 6

Vidurā–Putra Saṃvāda: Utsāha, Kīrti, and Kṣātra Resolve

Udyoga-parva 131

Devanagari script

श्रोत्रियस्थेव ते राजन्‌ मन्दकस्याविपक्चित: । अनुवाकहता बुद्धिर्धर्ममेवैकमी क्षते

Transliteration

śrotriyastha iva te rājan mandakasya avipakvitaḥ | anuvākahatā buddhir dharmam evai kam īkṣate ||

Translation

ພຣະວາຍຸເທວະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຂໍພຣະຣາຊາ, ຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈຂອງພຣະອົງ ເຫມືອນນັກທ່ອງວິດທີ່ທຶບທື່ ຍັງບໍ່ສຸກງອມ ບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈຄວາມໝາຍ; ປັນຍາຖືກກົດທັບໂດຍການທ່ອງຊໍ້າບົດຮຽນ ແລະ ເຫັນ ‘ທັມມະ’ ແຕ່ການທ່ອງຄໍາສັກສິດ. ເຊັ່ນດຽວກັນ ຈິດຂອງພຣະອົງກໍຈົດຈໍ່ຢູ່ແຕ່ທັມມະແຫ່ງສັນຕິ ບໍ່ອາດເຫັນຄໍາເອີ້ນອັນຄົບຖ້ວນຂອງຄວາມຖືກຕ້ອງໃນວິກິດນີ້»។

Word by Word

• श्रोत्रियस्थ: situated in/with a Veda-reciter (śrotriya)
• श्रोत्रियस्थ: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रोत्रियस्थ (श्रोत्रिय + स्थ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मन्दकस्य: of the dull one
• मन्दकस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अविपक्चितः: unintelligent/undiscerning
• अविपक्चितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविपक्चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनुवाकहता: struck/ruined by mere recitation (anuvāka)
• अनुवाकहता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुवाकहत (अनुवाक + हत)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• बुद्धिः: intellect
• बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मम्: dharma/duty
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: only/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• एकम्: one alone
• एकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ईक्षते: sees/looks at
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• rājan (the king, addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Mere attachment to a single form of dharma—here, peace—without mature discernment can become a limitation. True righteousness requires understanding meaning and context, not just repeating a principle or practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu addresses the king and rebukes him for a one-sided fixation on ‘śānti-dharma’ (peaceful policy). He compares the king’s mindset to an uncomprehending Veda-reciter who repeats lessons without grasping their sense, implying the king is missing the broader ethical demands of the situation.