Shloka 18

Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma

Devanagari script

उद्धावयस्व वीर्य वा तां वा गच्छ ध्रुवां गतिम्‌ । धर्म पुत्राग्रतः कृत्वा किंनिमित्तं हि जीवसि

Transliteration

uddhāvayasva vīryaṃ vā tāṃ vā gaccha dhruvāṃ gatim | dharma-putrāgrataḥ kṛtvā kiṃ-nimittaṃ hi jīvasi

Translation

ବାୟୁ କହିଲେ—“ତୋର ବୀର୍ୟ ଜାଗ୍ରତ କରି କାର୍ଯ୍ୟରେ ପ୍ରବୃତ୍ତ ହେ; ନଚେତ୍ ସେଇ ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ଧ୍ରୁବ ଅନ୍ତିମ ଗତିକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହେ। ଧର୍ମପୁତ୍ରମାନଙ୍କୁ (ପାଣ୍ଡବମାନଙ୍କୁ) ଅଗ୍ରେ ରଖି, ତୁ କେଉଁ ନିମିତ୍ତରେ ଏଯାଏଁ ଜୀବନକୁ ଧରି ରହିଛୁ?”

Word by Word

• उद्धावयस्व: drive away / chase off
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-धावय् (धाव् + णिच्)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वीर्यम्: valor, prowess
• वीर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• गच्छ: go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ध्रुवाम्: certain, fixed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गतिम्: course, destination
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धर्मपुत्र: Dharma’s son (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: धर्मपुत्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्धे), एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front of, before
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः

• कृत्वा: having made / having placed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• किम्: what
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निमित्तम्: reason, cause
• निमित्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमित्त
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• जीवसि: you live
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव्
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Dharma-putra(s) (sons of Dharma / Pāṇḍavas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Life is justified by purposeful adherence to dharma: if one has vowed to place the righteous cause (the Dharma-sons/Pāṇḍavas) first, one must either act with full courage or accept the inevitable end rather than live in hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva addresses a warrior-figure with a sharp exhortation: stop wavering—either summon heroic strength to fulfill the pledged duty toward the Dharma-sons (the Pāṇḍavas) or embrace the certain fate that comes from inaction and moral failure.