Shloka 38

Devanagari script

एवं कृते महाराज पर श्रेयस्त्वमाप्स्यसि । एवं गावल्गणे क्षत्ता धर्मार्थसहितं वच:,“महाराज! ऐसा करनेपर आप परम कल्याणके भागी होंगे।” संजय! इस प्रकार विदुरने मुझसे धर्म और अर्थयुक्त बातें कही थीं; किंतु पुत्रका हित चाहनेवाला होकर भी मैंने उनकी बात नहीं मानी

Transliteration

evaṁ kṛte mahārāja paraśreyas tvam āpsyasi | evaṁ gāvalgaṇe kṣattā dharmārthasahitaṁ vacaḥ |

Translation

Дхритараштра сказал: «О царь, если так поступить, ты достигнешь высшего блага». Так, о Санджая, Видура — кшатта, распорядитель дворца, сын Гавалганы — говорил мне слова, основанные на дхарме и здравой политике; но я, хотя он желал блага моим сыновьям, не принял его совета.

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

कृतेwhen (it is) done; upon doing

महाराजO great king

परम्supreme, highest

श्रेयःwelfare, good, benefit

त्वम्you

आप्स्यसिyou will obtain

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Sañjaya

Vidura (Kṣattā)

Gāvalgaṇa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True welfare (śreyas) for a ruler comes from acting on counsel that unites dharma (moral right) with artha (prudent governance). Ignoring such advice—especially due to attachment—leads away from the highest good.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra recalls that Vidura advised him on a course of action promising the ‘highest good.’ Speaking to Sañjaya, he admits that Vidura’s counsel was both ethical and politically sound, yet he failed to follow it because of his partiality toward his sons.