Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एवं कृते महाराज पर श्रेयस्त्वमाप्स्यसि । एवं गावल्गणे क्षत्ता धर्मार्थसहितं वच:,“महाराज! ऐसा करनेपर आप परम कल्याणके भागी होंगे।” संजय! इस प्रकार विदुरने मुझसे धर्म और अर्थयुक्त बातें कही थीं; किंतु पुत्रका हित चाहनेवाला होकर भी मैंने उनकी बात नहीं मानी

Transliteration

evaṁ kṛte mahārāja paraśreyas tvam āpsyasi | evaṁ gāvalgaṇe kṣattā dharmārthasahitaṁ vacaḥ |

Translation

ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രൻ പറഞ്ഞു—“ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഇങ്ങനെ ചെയ്താൽ നീ പരമ ശ്രേയസ്സിനെ പ്രാപിക്കും.” സഞ്ജയാ, ഗാവൽഗണന്റെ പുത്രനായ ക്ഷത്താ വിദുരൻ എനിക്ക് ധർമ്മവും നയവും ചേർന്ന വാക്കുകൾ പറഞ്ഞു; എങ്കിലും പുത്രഹിതം ആഗ്രഹിച്ചിട്ടും ഞാൻ അവന്റെ ഉപദേശം സ്വീകരിച്ചില്ല.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• कृते: when (it is) done; upon doing
• कृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: past passive participle (kta), neuter, locative, singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• परम्: supreme, highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• श्रेयः: welfare, good, benefit
• श्रेयः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: 2nd, nominative, singular

• आप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्
• Form: simple future (luṭ), 2nd, singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya
• Vidura (Kṣattā)
• Gāvalgaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True welfare (śreyas) for a ruler comes from acting on counsel that unites dharma (moral right) with artha (prudent governance). Ignoring such advice—especially due to attachment—leads away from the highest good.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra recalls that Vidura advised him on a course of action promising the ‘highest good.’ Speaking to Sañjaya, he admits that Vidura’s counsel was both ethical and politically sound, yet he failed to follow it because of his partiality toward his sons.