Shloka 51

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय 33: धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर संवादः (विदुरनीतिः)

Devanagari script

प्रायेण श्रीमतां लोके भोक्तुं शक्तिर्न विद्यते जीर्यन्त्यपि हि काष्ठानि दरिद्राणां महीपते,राजन! संसारमें धनियोंको प्रायः भोजनको पचानेकी शक्ति नहीं होती, किंतु दरिद्रोंके पेटमें काठ भी पच जाते हैं

Transliteration

prāyeṇa śrīmatāṃ loke bhoktuṃ śaktir na vidyate | jīryanty api hi kāṣṭhāni daridrāṇāṃ mahīpate ||

Translation

அரசே! இவ்வுலகில் செல்வர்களுக்கு பெரும்பாலும் உண்ணவும் செரிக்கவும் உள்ளார்ந்த வல்லமை இல்லை; ஆனால் ஏழைகளின் வயிற்றில் மரக்கட்டையும் செரிந்துவிடும்.

Word by Word

प्रायेणgenerally, for the most part

श्रीमताम्of the wealthy

लोकेin the world

भोक्तुम्to eat / to enjoy

शक्तिःpower, capacity

नnot

विद्यतेexists, is found

जीर्यन्तिare digested / decay

अपिeven, also

हिindeed, for

काष्ठानिpieces of wood

दरिद्राणाम्of the poor

महीपतेO lord of the earth (king)

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra implied by address)

wood (kāṣṭha)

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?

Prosperity can weaken restraint and even bodily/mental resilience, while poverty often fosters endurance; therefore one should not equate wealth with well-being, and should cultivate moderation and inner strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vidura’s counsel to the king during the Udyoga Parva, he uses a vivid metaphor—wealthy people often cannot digest rich enjoyment, while the poor can digest even ‘wood’—to critique indulgence and to highlight the hardiness produced by hardship.