Shloka 25

Vidura’s Message to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Authorization for Dāna and Public Welfare (विदुरवाक्यम्—दानानुज्ञा)

Devanagari script

अस्ति काचिद्‌ विवक्षा तु तां मे निगदत: शृणु । धृतराष्ट्र प्रति नृपं देवर्षे लोकपूजित,“लोकपुजित देवर्षे! राजा धृतराष्ट्रके विषयमें मुझे कुछ कहने या पूछनेकी इच्छा हो रही है। अपनी उस इच्छाको मैं बता रहा हूँ, सुनिये

Transliteration

asti kācid vivakṣā tu tāṃ me nigadataḥ śṛṇu | dhṛtarāṣṭra prati nṛpaṃ devarṣe lokapūjita ||

Translation

உலகால் போற்றப்படும் தேவर्षியே! அரசன் துரிதராஷ்டிரரைப் பற்றி எனக்கு ஒரு கருத்தைச் சொல்ல விருப்பம் உள்ளது. நான் கூறுவதைச் செவிமடுக்கவும்.

Word by Word

• {'asti': 'there is

• exists', 'kācid': 'some

• a certain (feminine)', 'vivakṣā': 'desire/intention to speak

• something one wishes to say', 'tu': 'but

• however (emphatic/contrastive particle)', 'tām': 'that (feminine accusative

• referring to the wish/intention)', 'me': 'of me

• my', 'nigadataḥ': 'as (I am) telling/declaring

• while speaking', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)', 'dhṛtarāṣṭram': 'Dhṛtarāṣṭra (accusative

• object of ‘regarding’)', 'prati': 'towards

• with reference to', 'nṛpam': 'king', 'devarṣe': 'O divine seer

• god-sage (vocative)', 'lokapūjita': 'worshipped/honoured by the world(s)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Devarṣi (the god-sage addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models ethical discourse: before speaking about a morally weighty figure (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), the speaker signals intention and requests attentive listening, emphasizing respectful, deliberate speech in matters of dharma and kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses a revered divine sage and announces that he wishes to say something concerning King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, preparing the listener for a focused account or inquiry about the king’s situation in the Āśramavāsika context.