Shloka 1

हंस–साध्यसंवादः, वाक्-निग्रहः, महाकुल-लक्षणम्, शान्ति-उपायः

Hamsa–Sādhya Dialogue; Restraint of Speech; Marks of Noble Lineage; Means to Peace

Devanagari script

पम्प बछ। अंक सप्तत्रिशोड्ध्याय: धृतराष्ट्रके प्रति विदुरजीका हितोपदेश विदुर उवाच सप्तदशेमान्‌ राजेन्द्र मनु: स्वायम्भुवोडब्रवीत्‌ | वैचित्रवीर्य पुरुषानाकाशं मुष्टिभिर्ष्नत:

Transliteration

vidura uvāca | saptadaśemān rājendra manuḥ svāyambhuvo 'bravīt | vaicitravīrya-puruṣān ākāśaṁ muṣṭibhir ghnataḥ | anāmyaṁ varṣākālīndra-dhanuṣaṁ nāmayituṁ ceṣṭamānān | agrāhyāḥ sūrya-raśmīn grahītuṁ prayatamānān iti |

Translation

ବିଦୁର କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜେନ୍ଦ୍ର, ବିଚିତ୍ରବୀର୍ୟନନ୍ଦନ! ସ୍ୱାୟମ୍ଭୁବ ମନୁ ସତର ପ୍ରକାର ଏମିତି ପୁରୁଷଙ୍କ କଥା କହିଛନ୍ତି ଯାହାଙ୍କ ଉଦ୍ୟମ ନିଷ୍ଫଳ—ମୁଷ୍ଟିଦ୍ୱାରା ଆକାଶକୁ ପ୍ରହାର କରିବା, ବର୍ଷାକାଳୀନ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରଧନୁ ପରି ଅବନମ୍ୟକୁ ନମାଇବାକୁ ଚେଷ୍ଟା କରିବା, ଏବଂ ଧରାଯାଏନି ଏମିତି ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟକିରଣକୁ ଧରିବାକୁ ଚେଷ୍ଟା କରିବା ସମାନ।

Word by Word

• विदुरः: Vidura
• विदुरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सप्तदश: seventeen
• सप्तदश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तदश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• इमान्: these
• इमान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मनुः: Manu
• मनुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वायम्भुवः: Svayambhuva (son of Svayambhu)
• स्वायम्भुवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वायम्भुव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said / declared
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Svāyambhuva Manu
• Vichitravīrya
• ākāśa (sky)
• muṣṭi (fists)
• indradhanuṣ (rainbow)
• sūrya-raśmi (sunrays)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura warns that some pursuits are inherently futile—like punching the sky or grasping sunrays. A ruler should discern what cannot be achieved by force or stubbornness and avoid wasting effort on impossible or self-defeating aims.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura counsels King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Here he cites Svāyambhuva Manu’s classification of ‘seventeen kinds of men’ whose actions are fruitless, using vivid metaphors to urge practical wisdom and ethical governance.