Shloka 1

Chapter 57: Duryodhana’s Accusation and Vidura’s Counsel on Anger and Truthful Speech

Devanagari script

अपन ह< बक। हक २ >> सप्तपजञ्चाशत्तमो< ध्याय: विदुर और धूृतराष्ट्रकी बातचीत वैशम्पायन उवाच मतमाज्ञाय पुत्रस्य धृतराष्ट्रो नराधिप: । मत्वा च दुस्तरं दैवमेतद्‌ राजंश्व॒कार ह,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं-जनमेजय! अपने पुत्र दुर्योधनका मत जानकर राजा धृतराष्ट्रने दैवको दुस्तर माना और यह कार्य किया

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | matam ājñāya putrasya dhṛtarāṣṭro narādhipaḥ | matvā ca dustaraṃ daivam etad rājaṃś cakāra ha ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ രാജാ ജനമേജയ! പുത്രന്റെ ഉദ്ദേശം അറിഞ്ഞ മനുഷ്യാധിപനായ ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രൻ ദൈവത്തെ അതിജീവിക്കുക ദുഷ്കരമാണെന്ന് കരുതി; പിന്നെ അതനുസരിച്ച് പ്രവർത്തിക്കാൻ തുടങ്ങി।

Word by Word

• {'matam': 'opinion, intention, resolve', 'ājñāya': 'having known, having ascertained', 'putrasya': 'of (his) son', 'dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ': 'Dhṛtarāṣṭra (the Kuru king)', 'narādhipaḥ': 'ruler of men, king', 'matvā': 'having thought, having considered', 'dustaram': 'difficult to cross/overcome', 'daivam': 'fate, destiny

• that which is ordained', 'etat': 'this (matter/thing)', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative

• addressed to Janamejaya)', 'cakāra ha': 'did/undertook indeed (narrative past emphasis)', 'uvāca': 'said'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata tension: when a ruler recognizes an unethical resolve in his own family, he may excuse inaction by calling destiny ‘unconquerable.’ Ethically, it warns that invoking fate can become a way to avoid responsibility for choosing dharma over attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that Dhṛtarāṣṭra, after learning Duryodhana’s intention, concludes that fate is difficult to overcome and then takes the next step in response—setting up the ensuing Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Vidura conversation and the political-ethical conflict around the Kuru court.