Shloka 57

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34 — Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship

Devanagari script

तत्र पूर्वचतुर्वर्गो दम्भार्थमपि सेव्यते । उत्तरश्न चतुर्वर्गो नामहात्मसु तिष्तति,इनमेंसे पहले चारोंका तो कोई (दम्भी पुरुष भी) दम्भके लिये सेवन कर सकता है, परंतु अन्तिम चार तो जो महात्मा नहीं हैं, उनमें रह ही नहीं सकते

Transliteration

tatra pūrva-caturvargo dambhārtham api sevyate | uttaraś ca caturvargo na mahātmasu tiṣṭhati ||

Translation

Nisso, o primeiro conjunto de quatro pode ser praticado até por mera ostentação; mas o último conjunto de quatro não pode, de fato, habitar naqueles que não são grandes de alma.

Word by Word

तत्रthere/in that context

पूर्वचतुर्वर्गःthe earlier set of four (aims/values)

दम्भार्थम्for the sake of ostentation

अपिeven/also

सेव्यतेis practiced/served

उत्तरश्चand the latter

चतुर्वर्गःthe set of four (aims/values)

अनात्मसुin those who are not great-souled / not self-possessed

तिष्ठतिstands/abides

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura distinguishes between virtues that can be imitated outwardly for reputation and deeper qualities that cannot exist without genuine greatness of soul; true moral excellence is not sustained by pretense.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vidura’s counsel during the Udyoga Parva, he evaluates sets of qualities being discussed and warns that some practices may be adopted merely as a façade, while the higher set is attainable only by truly noble persons.