Shloka 63

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

Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38

Devanagari script

अत्यार्यमतिदातारमतिशूरमतिव्रतम्‌ । प्रज्ञाभिमानिनं चैव श्रीर्भयान्नोपसर्पति,अत्यन्त श्रेष्ठ अतिशय दानी, अतीव शूरवीर, अधिक व्रत-नियमोंका पालन करनेवाले और बुद्धिके घमंडमें चूर रहनेवाले मनुष्यके पास लक्ष्मी भयके मारे नहीं जाती

Transliteration

atyāryam atidātāram atiśūram ativratam | prajñābhimāninaṃ caiva śrīr bhayān nopasarpati ||

Translation

แม้บุรุษจะสูงส่งยิ่ง ใจกว้างยิ่ง กล้าหาญยิ่ง และเคร่งครัดในวัตรปฏิบัติยิ่งเพียงใด หากเมามัวด้วยความทะนงในปัญญาของตน ศรี (ลักษมี) ก็ไม่เข้าใกล้เขา เพราะความหวาดหวั่น.

Word by Word

• अति-आर्य-मत्: very noble-minded
• अति-आर्य-मत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्यार्यमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अति-दाता-रम्: very generous giver
• अति-दाता-रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिदातार् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अति-शूर-म्: very heroic
• अति-शूर-म्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिशूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अति-व्रत-म्: very strict in vows/observances
• अति-व्रत-म्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रज्ञा-अभिमानिनम्: one who is proud of (his) intellect
• प्रज्ञा-अभिमानिनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रज्ञाभिमानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• श्रीः: Fortune/Prosperity (Lakṣmī)
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भयात्: from fear/out of fear
• भयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• उपसर्पति: approaches/comes near
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-सृप् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Śrī (Lakṣmī/prosperity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Pride in one’s own intelligence undermines even great virtues like generosity, heroism, and austerity; lasting prosperity avoids the arrogant. The verse promotes humility as the safeguard that allows merit to bear stable fruit.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura delivers moral counsel (nīti) in the tense lead-up to war, warning the Kuru court about character flaws that bring ruin. Here he cautions that intellectual arrogance repels Śrī—symbolizing fortune, stability, and auspicious success.