Mahabharata — Udyoga Parva, Shloka 45

Sanatsujāta-Āhvāna (Summoning Sanatsujāta) — Vidura’s Invocation and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Doubt

Devanagari script

श्री: सुखस्येह संवास: सा चापि परिपन्थिनी । ब्राह्मी सुदुर्लभा श्रीहिं प्रज्ञाहीनेन क्षत्रिय

Transliteration

śrīḥ sukhasyeha saṃvāsaḥ sā cāpi paripanthinī | brāhmī sudurlabhā śrīḥ prajñāhīnena kṣatriya, rājan ||

Translation

ສະນັດສຸຊາຕະ ກ່າວວ່າ: “ໃນໂລກນີ້ ຄວາມຮຸ່ງເຮືອງ (śrī) ຖືກນັບວ່າເປັນເຮືອນແຫ່ງຄວາມສຸກ; ແຕ່ຄວາມຮຸ່ງເຮືອງນັ້ນເອງອາດກາຍເປັນໂຈນທາງຫຼວງ ຂັດຂວາງເສັ້ນທາງໄປສູ່ຄວາມດີສູງສຸດ. ແຕ່ ‘śrī ແຫ່ງພຣະພຣະຫມ’—ຄວາມຮຸ່ງເຮືອງໃນຮູບຂອງຄວາມຮູ້ພຣະພຣະຫມ—ເປັນສິ່ງຫາຍາກຢ່າງຍິ່ງສໍາລັບຜູ້ຂາດປັນຍາຈໍາແນກ, ໂອ ກະສັດກະສັດຕຣິຍະ.”

Word by Word

• श्रीः: fortune, prosperity (Lakṣmī)
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सुखस्य: of happiness
• सुखस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• इह: here, in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• संवासः: dwelling, abode
• संवासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सा: she/that (Lakṣmī)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• परिपन्थिनी: obstructing, hindering (like a highway-robber)
• परिपन्थिनी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिपन्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मी: Brahmic; pertaining to Brahman/knowledge of Brahman
• ब्राह्मी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सुदुर्लभा: very difficult to obtain
• सुदुर्लभा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रीः: fortune (Lakṣmī)
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रज्ञाहीनेन: by/for one devoid of wisdom
• प्रज्ञाहीनेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रज्ञाहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• क्षत्रिय: O Kṣatriya
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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

Speaker

सनत्युजात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanatsujāta
• rājan (the king addressed, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra in context)
• śrī (prosperity/Lakṣmī as a concept)
• brāhmī śrī (spiritual prosperity as a concept)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worldly prosperity can provide comfort yet also obstruct the path of true good by fostering attachment and distraction; only spiritual ‘wealth’ grounded in Brahman-knowledge is truly elevating, and it is rare for those lacking discernment (prajñā).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sanatsujāta-upākhyāna within Udyoga Parva, the sage instructs the king on higher values before the impending war, warning that royal prosperity and pleasure can hinder spiritual progress, while urging the pursuit of wisdom.