Shloka 22

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच महाकुले भ्य: स्पृहयन्ति देवा धर्मार्थनित्याश्व बहुश्रुताश्न । पृच्छामि त्वां विदुर प्रश्नमेत॑ भवन्ति वै कानि महाकुलानि,धृतराष्ट्रने कहा--विदुर! धर्म और अर्थके अनुष्ठानमें परायण एवं बहुश्रुत देवता भी उत्तम कुलमें उत्पन्न पुरुषोंकी इच्छा करते हैं। इसलिये मैं तुमसे यह प्रश्न करता हूँ कि महान्‌ (उत्तम) कुलीन कौन हैं?

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | mahākulebhyaḥ spṛhayanti devā dharmārthanityāś ca bahuśrutāś ca | pṛcchāmi tvāṃ vidura praśnam etad bhavanti vai kāni mahākulāni ||

Translation

ທ້າວ ທຣິຕຣາສະຕຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ແມ່ນແຕ່ເທວະດາກໍຍັງປາຖະໜາຈະເກີດໃນວົງຕະກູນອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່—ໃນຜູ້ທີ່ໝັ້ນຄົງໃນທຳ (ທັມມະ) ແລະ ອັດຖະ ແລະ ໂດດເດັ່ນດ້ວຍຄວາມຮູ້. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ວິດຸຣະ, ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຂໍຖາມວ່າ: ວົງຕະກູນໃດຈຶ່ງຄວນນັບວ່າເປັນ «ມະຫາກຸນ» ຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ?

Word by Word

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra

उवाचsaid

महाकुलेभ्यःfrom great/noble families

स्पृहयन्तिdesire/long for

देवाःthe gods

धर्मार्थनित्याःever devoted to dharma and artha

बहुश्रुताःmuch-learned

चand

पृच्छामिI ask

त्वाम्you

विदुरO Vidura

प्रश्नम्question

एतम्this

भवन्तिare/become

वैindeed

कानिwhich (ones)

महाकुलानिgreat/noble families

Speaker

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhritarashtra

Vidura

Devas (gods)

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?

True nobility is not merely birth-based; it is associated with sustained commitment to dharma and artha and with learning (bahuśruta). The verse frames ‘great lineage’ as an ethical and cultural ideal that even the gods value.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Vidura, seeking a definition of what counts as a truly ‘great’ family. This sets up Vidura’s counsel on virtue, conduct, and the standards by which people and dynasties should be judged.