Shloka 29

पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानवर्णनम् / The Pāṇḍavas’ Departure for the Forest

Vidura’s Report and Portents

Devanagari script

मनस्विनमजानन्तो मैवं ब्रूयु: कुमारका: । एष वै दासपुत्रो हि प्रतिविन्ध्यं ममात्मजम्‌

Transliteration

manasvinam ajānanto maivaṁ brūyuḥ kumārakāḥ | eṣa vai dāsaputro hi prativindhyaṁ mamātmajam ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra nói: “Đám thiếu niên chớ nói như thế, vì không biết giá trị chân thật của bậc trượng phu khí phách. Người này quả là con của một nô lệ; nhưng Prativindhya là con của chính trẫm.”

Word by Word

मनस्विनम्high-minded, noble (person)

अजानन्तःnot knowing

माdo not

एवम्thus, in this manner

ब्रूयुःshould say

कुमारकाःboys, youngsters

एषःthis (man)

वैindeed

दासपुत्रःson of a slave/servant

हिfor, indeed

प्रतिविन्ध्यम्Prativindhya (proper name)

ममmy

आत्मजम्son

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Prativindhya

kumārakāḥ (young boys)

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?

The verse cautions against careless or contemptuous speech based on incomplete understanding. It highlights an ethical restraint: do not judge a person’s worth merely by birth or rumor, and do not speak disparagingly without knowing the full truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses young speakers who are making remarks without understanding the situation. He rebukes them for speaking improperly and asserts a claim of kinship regarding Prativindhya, while also contrasting him with someone described as of servile birth.