Shloka 20

धृतराष्ट्रस्य वंशोपदेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Dynastic Counsel on Legitimate Rule

Devanagari script

यस्य लोभाभिभूतस्य मतिं समनुवर्तसे । अनार्यस्याकृतज्ञस्थ लोभेन हृतचेतस:

Transliteration

yasya lobhābhibhūtasya matiṁ samanuvartase | anāryasyākṛtajñasya lobhena hṛtacetasaḥ ||

Translation

Vidura nói: “Vì sao ngài lại theo lời kẻ có trí bị lòng tham chế ngự—một kẻ hèn kém và vô ơn, kẻ mà tham dục đã cướp mất cả ý thức? Khi ngài thuận theo sự phán đoán của kẻ ấy, ngài đang rời bỏ con đường dharma và đặt chính dòng tộc mà ngài muốn bảo hộ vào hiểm họa.”

Word by Word

• यस्य: whose/of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• लोभ: by greed
• लोभ: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभिभूतस्य: of (one) overpowered
• अभिभूतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-भू (भू)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• मतिम्: mind/intention
• मतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• समनुवर्तसे: you follow/comply with
• समनुवर्तसे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अनु-वृत् (वृत्)
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Ātmanepada

• अनार्यस्य: of the ignoble
• अनार्यस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनार्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अकृतज्ञस्य: of the ungrateful
• अकृतज्ञस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकृतज्ञ
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• लोभेन: by greed
• लोभेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• हृत: taken away/robbed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (हृञ्)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• चेतसः: of mind/consciousness
• चेतसः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not align your decisions with a leader whose judgment is corrupted by greed; following such counsel leads to adharma and collective ruin. Ethical governance requires discernment (mati) free from lobha, and gratitude and nobility (āryatva) as marks of character.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, as conflict escalates toward war, Vidura admonishes the Kuru elders for heeding Duryodhana. He portrays Duryodhana as greed-driven, ignoble, and ungrateful, warning that following his policy endangers the family and the kingdom.