Shloka 11

विदुर-धृतराष्ट्रसंवादः

Vidura–Dhṛtarāṣṭra Dialogue on Rajadharma and Restitution

Devanagari script

समाश्चस्तं विदुरं ते नरर्ष भा- स्ततो<पृच्छन्नागमनाय हेतुम्‌ । स चापि तेभ्यो विस्तरत: शशंस यथावृत्तो धृतराष्ट्रोडम्बिकेय:,विदुरजीके आदर-सत्कार पानेपर नरश्रेष्ठ पाण्डवोंने उनसे वनमें आनेका कारण पूछा। उनके पूछनेपर विदुरने भी अम्बिकानन्दन राजा धृतराष्ट्रने जैसा बर्ताव किया था, वह सब विस्तारपूर्वक कह सुनाया

Transliteration

samāś ca taṁ viduraṁ te nararṣabhās tato 'pṛcchann āgamanāya hetum | sa cāpi tebhyo vistarataḥ śaśaṁsa yathāvṛtto dhṛtarāṣṭro 'mbikeyaḥ ||

Translation

Sau khi nghênh tiếp Vidura một cách xứng đáng, những bậc trượng phu như hổ ấy (các Pāṇḍava) hỏi ông vì sao lại đến chốn rừng sâu. Vidura liền thuật lại cho họ tường tận mọi điều đã xảy ra, và cách vua Dhṛtarāṣṭra—con của Ambikā—đã hành xử ra sao.

Word by Word

• {'samāḥ (samāś ca)': 'having honored

• having shown due respect (hospitality/reception)', 'tam': 'him', 'viduram': 'Vidura', 'te': 'they (the Pāṇḍavas)', 'nararṣabhāḥ': 'bulls among men

• best of men', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'apṛcchan': 'they asked (imperfect/plural)', 'āgamanāya': 'for (his) coming

• regarding the arrival', 'hetum': 'cause

• reason', 'sa': 'he (Vidura)', 'api': 'also

• indeed', 'tebhyaḥ': 'to them', 'vistarataḥ': 'in detail

• at length', 'śaśaṁsa': 'told

• reported', 'yathā-vṛttaḥ': 'as it happened

• according to what occurred', 'dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ': 'King Dhṛtarāṣṭra', 'āmbikeyaḥ': 'son of Ambikā (epithet of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vidura
• Pāṇḍavas
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Ambikā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical clarity in political crisis: responsible leaders and advisers must communicate truthfully about conduct at court, so that decisions are grounded in dharma rather than rumor or emotion.

What is happening in the narrative?

After receiving Vidura with honor, the Pāṇḍavas ask why he has come to the forest. Vidura then recounts in detail Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s behavior and the events at the Kuru court that prompted his visit.