Shloka 32

Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma

Devanagari script

एतावानेव पुरुषो यदमर्षी यदक्षमी

Transliteration

etāvān eva puruṣo yad amarṣī yad akṣamī

Translation

Wika ni Vāyu: “Ang tao ay hanggang dito lamang—kung gaano siya kapuno ng hinanakit, ganoon din siya; kung gaano siya di-matiis, ganoon din siya.” Sa diwa ng dharma, ang tunay na dangal ay hindi nasusukat sa kapangyarihan o katayuan, kundi sa kakayahang pigilan ang galit at tiisin ang pang-uudyok nang hindi nawawala ang pagpipigil-sa-sarili.

Word by Word

• एतावान्: this much; so great (only this much)
• एतावान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतावत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed; only; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पुरुषः: man; person
• पुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: namely; that is to say (relative particle here introducing explanation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्

• अमर्षी: intolerant; irascible; not bearing (insult/injury)
• अमर्षी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: and that; namely (repeating for emphasis/parallelism)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्

• अक्षमी: unable to endure; unforbearing; impatient
• अक्षमी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षमिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Wind-god)
• puruṣa (a person)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A person’s moral worth is revealed by their capacity for kṣamā (forbearance). Resentment and intolerance shrink one’s true stature; patience and self-restraint elevate it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu speaks a concise ethical maxim, evaluating human character through the lens of emotional discipline—especially the ability to endure offense without becoming resentful or intolerant.