Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 29

अध्याय ३९: विदुरेण धृतराष्ट्राय नीत्युपदेशः

Timely Counsel, Association, and Kin-Duty

चातुर्वर्ण्यस्यैष धर्मस्तवोक्तो हेतुं चानुब्रुवतो मे निबोध । क्षात्राद्‌ धर्माद्धीयते पाण्डुपुत्र- स्तं त्वं राजन्‌ राजधर्मे नियुड्धक्ष्य,महाराज! आपसे यह मैंने चारों वर्णोका धर्म बताया है; इसे बतानेका कारण भी सुनिये। आपके कारण पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिर क्षत्रियधर्मसे गिर रहे हैं, अत: आप उन्हें पुनः राजधर्ममें नियुक्त कीजिये

cāturvarṇyasya eṣa dharmas tavokto hetuṃ cānubruvato me nibodha | kṣātrād dharmād dhīyate pāṇḍuputras taṃ tvaṃ rājan rājadharme niyuṅkṣva ||

മഹാരാജാ, ചാതുർവർണ്യത്തിന്റെ ധർമ്മം ഞാൻ നിങ്ങളോട് പറഞ്ഞു; ഇനി ഞാൻ പറയാനുള്ള കാരണവും കേൾക്കുക. നിങ്ങളുടെ കാരണത്താൽ പാണ്ഡുപുത്രൻ യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ ക്ഷാത്രധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വഴുതുന്നു; അതുകൊണ്ട്, രാജാവേ, അവനെ വീണ്ടും രാജധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിയോഗിക്കൂ।

चातुर्वर्ण्यस्यof the fourfold varna-system
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootचातुर्वर्ण्य
FormNeuter, Genitive, Singular
एषःthis
एषः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धर्मःduty/law
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तवto/for you; your
तव:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
उक्तःsaid/declared
उक्तः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)
हेतुम्reason/cause
हेतुम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootहेतु
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अनुब्रुवतःof me who am explaining/following up (in speech)
अनुब्रुवतः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअनु+ब्रू
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)
मेmy/of me
मे:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
निबोधunderstand; learn
निबोध:
TypeVerb
Rootनि+बुध्
FormImperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada
क्षात्रात्from the kshatriya (state/quality)
क्षात्रात्:
Apadana
TypeAdjective
Rootक्षात्र
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular
धर्मात्from duty (dharma)
धर्मात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
हीयतेdeclines/falls away
हीयते:
TypeVerb
Rootहा
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada
पाण्डुपुत्रःthe son of Pandu
पाण्डुपुत्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपाण्डुपुत्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तम्him
तम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
त्वम्you
त्वम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormNominative, Singular
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
राजधर्मेin kingly duty/statecraft
राजधर्मे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootराजधर्म
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
नियुङ्क्ष्वappoint/engage (him)
नियुङ्क्ष्व:
TypeVerb
Rootनि+युज्
FormImperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada
महाराजO great king
महाराज:
TypeNoun
Rootमहाराज
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

विदुर उवाच

V
Vidura
D
Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
P
Pāṇḍu

Educational Q&A

A ruler is responsible for upholding and restoring dharma: if a rightful king is being pushed away from his proper royal duty, the reigning authority must correct the situation and re-establish him in rajadharma rather than enabling moral and political collapse.

In the Udyoga Parva, Vidura counsels King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He explains that his earlier discussion of the four-varṇa duties has a purpose: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s conduct is causing Yudhiṣṭhira to be deprived of his rightful kṣatriya role, so Vidura urges the king to reinstate Yudhiṣṭhira in kingship and proper royal governance.