Shloka 1

Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule

Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38

Devanagari script

पम्प बछ। अर: - मिट्टी और गोबरको मिलाकर कच्चे घरोंको जो लीपा-पोता जाता है

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | anīśvaro 'yaṃ puruṣo bhavābhave sūtra-protaḥ dāru-mayīva yoṣā | dhātrā tu diṣṭasya vaśe kṛto 'yaṃ tasmād vada tvaṃ śravaṇe dhṛto 'ham ||

Translation

Дхритараштра сказал: «Видура, человек не властен над собой ни в благоденствии, ни в погибели. Подобно деревянной кукле, нанизанной на нить, Творец связал его властью назначенной ему судьбы. Потому говори дальше — я сижу спокойно и готов слушать».

Word by Word

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अनीश्वरः: not independent, powerless
• अनीश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनीश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषः: person, man
• पुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भव: in becoming/existence (birth)
• भव: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अभवे: in non-becoming/non-existence (death/cessation)
• अभवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सूत्रप्रोतः: thread-strung, tied by a string
• सूत्रप्रोतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूत्र-प्रोत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दारुमयी: made of wood
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुमयी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• योषा: woman; (here) puppet/doll (figuratively)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• धात्रा: by the Creator/Ordainer
• धात्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• दिष्टस्य: of what is ordained; of destiny
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिष्ट
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• वशे: under the control
• वशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कृतः: made, placed
• कृतः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्)

• वद: speak, tell
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Imperative, 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• श्रवणे: in listening; for hearing
• श्रवणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• धृतः: held, maintained (i.e., having assumed)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Vidura
• Dhātṛ (the Creator/Ordainer)
• sūtra (thread)
• dāru-mayī yoṣā (wooden puppet/doll)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames human life as constrained by what is ‘allotted’ (diṣṭa), comparing a person to a puppet moved by an external ordainer. Ethically, it sets the stage for Vidura’s nīti: even if destiny is invoked, a ruler must still hear counsel and act with discernment rather than using fate as an excuse for adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

At the opening of this section of Vidura’s counsel, Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses Vidura and invites him to speak. He expresses a deterministic view—humans are not independent in success or failure—and then declares his readiness to listen, introducing the forthcoming moral and political instruction.