Shloka 13

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय २५: संजयदूतवाक्यम्

Sañjaya’s Envoy-Speech on Peace

Devanagari script

मेधाविन हार्थकामं कुरूणां बहुश्रुतं वाग्मिनं शीलवन्तम्‌ । स तं राजा धृतराष्ट्र: कुरुभ्यो न सस्मार विदुरं पुत्रकाम्यात्‌,बुद्धिमान, कौरवोंके अभीष्टकी सिद्धि चाहनेवाले, बहुश्रुत विद्वान, उत्तम वक्ता तथा शीलवान्‌ विदुरजीका भी राजा धृतराष्ट्रने कौरवोंके हितके लिये पुत्रस्नेहकी लालसासे आदर नहीं किया

Transliteration

medhāvinaṃ hy arthakāmaṃ kurūṇāṃ bahuśrutaṃ vāgminaṃ śīlavantam | sa taṃ rājā dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ kurubhyo na sasmāra viduraṃ putrakāmyāt ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—വിദുരൻ ബുദ്ധിമാനായിരുന്നു; കുരുക്കളുടെ യഥാർത്ഥ ക്ഷേമസിദ്ധി ആഗ്രഹിച്ചവൻ; ബഹുശ്രുതൻ, വാഗ്മി, ശീലവാൻ. എങ്കിലും പുത്രലാലസയും പുത്രസ്നേഹവും മൂലം രാജാ ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രൻ കുരുവംശത്തിന്റെ ഹിതത്തിനായിട്ടുപോലും വിദുരനെ ഓർത്ത് ആദരിച്ചില്ല.

Word by Word

• {'medhāvinam': 'intelligent, discerning', 'hi': 'indeed, for', 'artha-kāmam': 'one who seeks/aims at artha (practical good, polity, welfare)

• also one intent on beneficial ends', 'kurūṇām': 'of the Kurus (the Kuru dynasty/house)', 'bahuśrutam': 'much-heard

• widely learned, well-versed in tradition', 'vāgminam': 'eloquent, skilled in speech', 'śīlavantam': 'virtuous, of good character and conduct', 'sa': 'he (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'tam': 'him (Vidura)', 'rājā': 'the king', 'dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ': 'Dhṛtarāṣṭra', 'kurubhyaḥ': 'for the Kurus

• for the Kuru people/house', 'na sasmāra': 'did not remember/heed

• did not take to heart', 'viduram': 'Vidura', 'putrakāmyāt': 'from desire/longing for sons

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Vidura
• Kurus
• Kauravas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the best counsel—wise, learned, eloquent, and ethical—becomes ineffective when a ruler is blinded by attachment. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s putra-sneha (clinging to his sons) overrides dharma and the long-term welfare of the Kuru house.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Vidura’s qualifications and goodwill toward the Kurus, then notes that Dhṛtarāṣṭra, motivated by desire for his sons’ success and partiality toward the Kauravas, does not properly heed or honor Vidura’s advice meant for the dynasty’s benefit.