Shloka 35

धृतराष्ट्रस्य वंशोपदेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Dynastic Counsel on Legitimate Rule

Devanagari script

अनुज्ञया चाथ महाव्रतस्य ब्रूयान्नपो5यं विदुरस्तथैव । कार्य भवेत्‌ तत्‌ सुहृद्धिर्नियोज्यं धर्म पुरस्कृत्य सुदीर्घकालम्‌

Transliteration

anujñayā cātha mahāvratasya brūyān nāpo 'yaṃ viduras tathaiva | kāryaṃ bhavet tat suhṛdbhir niyojyaṃ dharmaṃ puraskṛtya sudīrghakālam ||

Translation

Видура сказал: «С дозволения того старца, соблюдающего великий обет, пусть и этот Видура говорит без колебаний. Что надлежит сделать, то следует совершать, советуясь с доброжелательными друзьями, ставя дхарму впереди и неуклонно держась её долгое время.»

Word by Word

• {'anujñayā': 'with permission, by consent', 'atha': 'then, now, moreover', 'mahāvratasya': 'of the great vow-observer (an epithet of Bhīṣma)', 'brūyāt': 'should speak, may state', "nāpo 'yam": 'not timid/hesitant is this (i.e., ‘I am not reluctant’)', 'viduraḥ': 'Vidura', 'tathaiva': 'just so, likewise', 'kāryam': 'what is to be done

• necessary action', 'bhavet': 'should be

• ought to become', 'tat': 'that', 'suhṛdbhiḥ': 'by well-wishers, friends', 'niyojyam': 'to be applied/undertaken

• to be enjoined', 'dharmaṃ': 'righteousness, moral law, rightful duty', 'puraskṛtya': 'placing in front

• giving priority to', 'sudīrghakālam': 'for a very long time'}

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Bhishma
• Dhritarashtra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura emphasizes that decisions—especially in crisis—should be made with humility and due deference to elders, but ultimately guided by dharma, supported by the counsel of trustworthy well-wishers, and sustained consistently over time.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the royal deliberations, Vidura seeks (or acknowledges) Bhīṣma’s permission to speak. He then urges that the king and his circle act through consultation with loyal friends, prioritizing dharma as the governing principle.