Shloka 7

उद्योगपर्व — विदुरनीतिः (Adhyāya 37): आयुःक्षयहेतवः, नीतिसूत्राणि, बलभेदाः, पाण्डव-विग्रहदोषदर्शनम्

Devanagari script

नीवारमूलेड्गुदशाक वृत्ति: सुसंयतात्माग्निकार्येषु चोद्य: । वने वसन्नतिथिष्वप्रमत्तो धुरन्धर: पुण्यकृदेष तापस:,जो नीवार (जंगली चावल), कन्द-मूल, इंगुदीपाल और साग खाकर निर्वाह करता है, मनको वशमें रखता है, अग्निहोत्र करता है, वनमें रहकर भी अतिथिसेवामें सदा सावधान रहता है, वही पुण्यात्मा तपस्वी (वानप्रस्थी) श्रेष्ठ माना गया है

Transliteration

nīvāramūleṅgudaśāka-vṛttiḥ susaṁyatātmāgnikāryeṣu codyaḥ | vane vasann atithiṣv apramatto dhurandharaḥ puṇyakṛd eṣa tāpasaḥ ||

Translation

ตบะวินผู้เป็นวานปรস্থะอันประเสริฐ คือผู้ยังชีพด้วยข้าวป่า หัวราก ผลอิงคุที และผักเรียบง่าย ผู้สำรวมใจ ขยันในพิธีกรรมแห่งไฟศักดิ์สิทธิ์ และแม้อยู่ในป่าก็มิได้ประมาทต่อหน้าที่รับรองแขก เขาเป็นผู้แบกรับภาระ เป็นผู้กระทำบุญแท้

Word by Word

नीवारमूलैःwith wild-rice roots/tubers

इङ्गुदशाकवृत्तिःone whose livelihood is (from) ingudī-fruit and greens

सुसंयतात्माhaving well-controlled self

अग्निकार्येषुin the fire-ritual duties

चand

उद्यःdiligent/active

वनेin the forest

वसन्dwelling (living)

अतिथिषुtowards/with regard to guests

अप्रमत्तःunheedless-free, vigilant

धुरन्धरःcapable, bearing responsibilities

पुण्यकृत्doer of merit, virtuous

एषःthis (person)

तापसःascetic, forest-dweller

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

agni (sacred fire)

atithi (guest)

forest (vana)

nīvāra (wild rice)

mūla (roots/tubers)

iṅgudī (tree/fruit)

śāka (greens)

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?

True ascetic excellence is not mere withdrawal but disciplined living: simple subsistence, mastery of mind, faithful performance of sacred duties, and vigilant hospitality to guests—dharma upheld even in the forest.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura is instructing on righteous conduct by defining the marks of an exemplary forest-dweller (vānaprastha/tapasvin), emphasizing restraint, ritual responsibility, and unwavering attentiveness to atithi-sevā.