Shloka 12

Droṇa–Vidura–Gāndhārī Counsel in the Royal Assembly (धर्मार्थयुक्ता सभा-उपदेश-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

कामलोभाभिभूतस्य मन्दस्य प्राज्ञमानिन: । अप्रियं हृदये महां तन्न तिष्ठति केशव

Transliteration

kāmalobhābhibhūtasya mandasya prājñamāninaḥ | apriyaṃ hṛdaye mahāṃ tan na tiṣṭhati keśava ||

Translation

یُدھِشٹھِر نے کہا— اے کیشو! جو شخص خواہش اور لالچ کے قبضے میں ہو، عقل میں کند ہو اور پھر بھی اپنے آپ کو دانا سمجھے—اس کے دل میں کوئی بڑی، ناگوار سچائی ٹھہر نہیں سکتی۔

Word by Word

कामलोभाभिभूतस्यof one overcome by desire and greed

मन्दस्यof the dull/slow-witted (person)

प्राज्ञमानिनःof one who fancies himself wise

अप्रियंthe unpleasant (thing)

हृदयेin the heart

महत्great; strongly (as an intensifier with अप्रियम)

तत्that

नnot

तिष्ठतिremains/stands

केशवO Keshava

Speaker

युधिष्टिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A mind ruled by desire and greed becomes dull and defensive; even if a person claims wisdom, he cannot retain harsh but beneficial counsel. Ethical insight requires self-restraint and humility, otherwise truth is rejected as ‘unpleasant’ and quickly displaced.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) while reflecting on why certain people—especially those driven by craving and avarice—do not accept or keep to difficult advice, even when it is for their own good.