Shloka 6

Vidurā–Putra Saṃvāda: Utsāha, Kīrti, and Kṣātra Resolve

Udyoga-parva 131

Devanagari script

श्रोत्रियस्थेव ते राजन्‌ मन्दकस्याविपक्चित: । अनुवाकहता बुद्धिर्धर्ममेवैकमी क्षते

Transliteration

śrotriyastha iva te rājan mandakasya avipakvitaḥ | anuvākahatā buddhir dharmam evai kam īkṣate ||

Translation

Thần Vāyu nói: “Tâu Đại vương, sự hiểu biết của ngài giống như một kẻ tụng Veda ngu độn, tâm trí chưa chín, không nắm được ý nghĩa; trí tuệ bị bào mòn bởi việc lặp đi lặp lại bài học, và chỉ thấy ‘dharma’ là sự tụng niệm. Cũng vậy, tâm ngài chỉ chăm chăm vào dharma của hòa bình, không nhận ra đòi hỏi trọn vẹn của lẽ phải trong cơn khủng hoảng này.”

Word by Word

• श्रोत्रियस्थ: situated in/with a Veda-reciter (śrotriya)
• श्रोत्रियस्थ: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रोत्रियस्थ (श्रोत्रिय + स्थ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मन्दकस्य: of the dull one
• मन्दकस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अविपक्चितः: unintelligent/undiscerning
• अविपक्चितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविपक्चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनुवाकहता: struck/ruined by mere recitation (anuvāka)
• अनुवाकहता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुवाकहत (अनुवाक + हत)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• बुद्धिः: intellect
• बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मम्: dharma/duty
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• एकम्: one alone
• एकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ईक्षते: sees/looks at
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• rājan (the king, addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Mere attachment to a single form of dharma—here, peace—without mature discernment can become a limitation. True righteousness requires understanding meaning and context, not just repeating a principle or practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu addresses the king and rebukes him for a one-sided fixation on ‘śānti-dharma’ (peaceful policy). He compares the king’s mindset to an uncomprehending Veda-reciter who repeats lessons without grasping their sense, implying the king is missing the broader ethical demands of the situation.