Shloka 19

अध्याय ३९: विदुरेण धृतराष्ट्राय नीत्युपदेशः

Timely Counsel, Association, and Kin-Duty

Devanagari script

अस्माल्लोकादूर्ध्वममुष्य चाधो महत्‌ तमस्तिष्ठति हान्धकारम्‌ | तद्‌ वै महामोहनमिन्द्रियाणां बुध्यस्व मा त्वां प्रलभेत राजन्‌,इस लोक और परलोकसे ऊपर और नीचेतक सर्वत्र अज्ञानरूप महान्‌ अन्धकार फैला हुआ है। वह इन्द्रियोंको महान्‌ मोहमें डालनेवाला है। राजन! आप इसको जान लीजिये, जिससे यह आपका स्पर्श न कर सके

Transliteration

asmāllokād ūrdhvam amuṣya cādho mahat tamas tiṣṭhati hāndhakāram | tad vai mahāmohanam indriyāṇāṁ budhyasva mā tvāṁ pralabheta rājan ||

Translation

เหนือโลกนี้และใต้โลกนี้ ทั้งเลยไปถึงปรโลก เบื้องบนและเบื้องล่าง ล้วนมีความมืดใหญ่คืออวิชชาแผ่ซ่าน นั่นแลเป็นผู้ลวงอินทรีย์ให้หลงใหลอย่างยิ่ง ข้าแต่พระราชา จงรู้ให้แจ้งเถิด เพื่อมันจะมิอาจล่อลวงพระองค์ได้

Word by Word

• {'asmāt lokāt': 'from this world', 'ūrdhvam': 'above, higher', 'amuṣya (loka)': 'of that (other) world

• the next world', 'adhaḥ': 'below, lower', 'mahat': 'great, vast', 'tamas': 'darkness

• ignorance', 'tiṣṭhati': 'stands, prevails, pervades', 'andhakāram': 'gloom, blinding darkness', 'tad vai': 'that indeed', 'mahāmohanam': 'great delusion, powerful bewilderment', 'indriyāṇām': 'of the senses', 'budhyasva': 'understand, awaken to it, be aware', 'mā': 'lest

• do not let', 'tvām': 'you', 'pralabheta': 'should deceive, beguile, trick', 'rājan': 'O King'}

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura warns that ignorance (tamas) pervades all realms and powerfully deludes the senses; a ruler must recognize this inner darkness to avoid being deceived into unethical choices.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vidura’s counsel to the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) during Udyoga Parva, he cautions him against sensory delusion and moral blindness at a critical moment when decisions about policy and war are impending.