Shloka 3

Vidura’s Recall from Kāmyaka-vana and Reconciliation with Dhṛtarāṣṭra (विदुरानयनम् / क्षमायाचनम्)

Devanagari script

एष प्रत्यागतो मन्त्रो धृतराष्ट्रस्य धीमत: । विदुर: पाण्डुपुत्राणां सुहृद्‌ विद्वान्‌ हिते रत:,“बुद्धिमान पिताजीका यह मन्त्री विदुर फिर लौट आया। विदुर विद्वान्‌ होनेके साथ ही पाण्डवोंका सुहृद्‌ और उन्हींके हितसाधनमें संलग्न रहनेवाला है

Transliteration

eṣa pratyāgato mantro dhṛtarāṣṭrasya dhīmataḥ | viduraḥ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ suhṛd vidvān hite rataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Vị đại thần hiền trí của Dhṛtarāṣṭra—Vidura—đã trở về. Ông uyên bác, sáng suốt, là người bạn chân thành của các con trai Pāṇḍu, luôn tận tâm với điều lợi ích cho họ.”

Word by Word

एषःthis (man)

प्रत्यागतःreturned

मन्त्रीminister, counsellor

धृतराष्ट्रस्यof Dhṛtarāṣṭra

धीमतःof the wise

विदुरःVidura

पाण्डुपुत्राणाम्of the sons of Pāṇḍu (the Pāṇḍavas)

सुहृत्friend, well-wisher

विद्वान्learned, wise

हितेin (their) welfare

रतःdevoted, engaged

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Vidura

Pāṇḍuputrāḥ (Pāṇḍavas)

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 highlights the ethical ideal of a counsellor: true wisdom expresses itself as commitment to others’ welfare (hita) and loyal friendship (suhṛt), even within a politically tense court.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana identifies Vidura as having returned and characterizes him: he is Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s wise minister, yet also a learned well-wisher devoted to the good of the Pāṇḍavas—setting up his role as a moral voice in the unfolding events.