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Shloka 39

Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition

जो अपने बलको न समझकर बिना काम किये ही धर्म और अर्थसे विरुद्ध तथा न पानेयोग्य वस्तुकी इच्छा करता है, वह पुरुष इस संसारमें मूढबुद्धि कहलाता है ।। अशिष्यं शास्ति यो राजन्‌ यश्च शून्यमुपासते- । कदर्य भजते यश्च तमाहुर्मूठडचेतसम्‌,राजन! जो अनधिकारीको उपदेश देता और शून्यकी उपासना करता है तथा जो कृपणका आश्रय लेता है, उसे मूढ चित्तवाला कहते हैं

yo ’tmano balaṁ na vijānāti vinā karmaiva dharmārthābhyāṁ viruddhāṁ cānupapannāṁ ca vastūnām icchāṁ karoti sa iha loke mūḍhabuddhir ucyate || aśiṣyaṁ śāsti yo rājan yaś ca śūnyam upāsate | kadarīṁ bhajate yaś ca tam āhur mūḍhacetasam ||

ผู้ใดไม่เข้าใจกำลังและความสามารถของตน แล้วไม่ยอมทำการงานที่พึงทำ กลับปรารถนาสิ่งที่ขัดต่อธรรมและอรรถ หรือสิ่งที่มิอาจได้—ผู้นั้นในโลกนี้เรียกว่าเขลาปัญญา. อีกทั้ง ข้าแต่พระราชา ผู้ใดสั่งสอนศิษย์ที่ไม่ควรสอน บูชาความว่างเปล่าไร้สาระ และไปพึ่งพาคนตระหนี่—ผู้นั้นก็กล่าวกันว่าเป็นผู้มีจิตหลงผิด

अशिष्यम्an unqualified (non-disciple) person
अशिष्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअशिष्य
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
शास्तिinstructs/teaches
शास्ति:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootशास्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
यःwho
यः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
राजन्O king
राजन्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
यःand who
यः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
शून्यम्the void/emptiness (a worthless object)
शून्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootशून्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
उपासतेworships/serves
उपासते:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootउप-आस्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada
कदर्यम्a miser/base person
कदर्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकदर्य
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
भजतेassociates with/serves/resorts to
भजते:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootभज्
FormPresent, Third, Singular, Atmanepada
यःand who
यः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
तम्him
तम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
आहुःthey call/say
आहुः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअह्
FormPerfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
मूढचेतसम्of deluded mind
मूढचेतसम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootमूढचेतस्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
राजन्O king
राजन्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

विदुर उवाच

V
Vidura
R
Rājan (the King—Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied addressee)

Educational Q&A

True wisdom begins with knowing one’s own capacity and aligning desire with disciplined action and with dharma and artha. Delusion shows itself in chasing the impossible or unethical without effort, in giving instruction where it cannot bear fruit, in revering what is empty, and in seeking support from miserly, mean-spirited people.

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers moral and political counsel to the king (implicitly Dhṛtarāṣṭra) as tensions rise toward war. This verse is part of Vidura’s diagnostic teaching: he identifies behaviors that mark a person as misguided, warning the king against poor judgment in aims, teachers/disciples, objects of reverence, and alliances.