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

Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Ôi Keśava, trong lòng kẻ bị dục vọng và tham lam chế ngự—đần độn mà tự cho mình là bậc trí—thì chân lý lớn lao, dù cần thiết nhưng khó nghe, cũng không thể lưu lại.”

Word by Word

• कामलोभाभिभूतस्य: of one overcome by desire and greed
• कामलोभाभिभूतस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-लोभ-अभिभूत
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• मन्दस्य: of the dull/slow-witted (person)
• मन्दस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्राज्ञमानिनः: of one who fancies himself wise
• प्राज्ञमानिनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राज्ञ-मानिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अप्रियं: the unpleasant (thing)
• अप्रियं: Karta
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: अप्रिय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• हृदये: in the heart
• हृदये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• महत्: great; strongly (as an intensifier with अप्रियम)
• महत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तिष्ठति: remains/stands
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• केशव: O Keshava
• केशव: Sampradana
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: केशव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिष्टिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

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.