Shloka 20

Vyāsa’s Inquiry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Tapas and the Identification of Vidura with Dharma

Devanagari script

प्रयोजन च निर्वत्तं जीवितस्य ममानघ । उग्र॑ तप: समास्थास्ये त्वमनुज्ञातुमहसि

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: prayojanaṃ ca nirvṛttaṃ jīvitasya mamānagha | ugraṃ tapaḥ samāsthāsye tvam anu jñātum arhasi ||

Translation

毗舍波耶那说道：“无垢者啊，我延续此生之所为，今已圆满。因你亲临，又因毗耶娑苦行之力，我得见我诸子——都利约陀那等——已往来世者。故我今当承担严厉苦行。此事当蒙你许可。”

Word by Word

• {'prayojanam': 'purpose, aim, intended end', 'ca': 'and', 'nirvṛttam': 'accomplished, completed, brought to fulfillment', 'jīvitasya': 'of life, of living', 'mama': 'my', 'anagha': 'O sinless/blameless one (vocative address)', 'ugram': 'fierce, severe, intense', 'tapaḥ': 'austerity, ascetic practice, spiritual heat/discipline', 'samāsthāsye': 'I shall undertake

• I will enter upon (future sense)', 'tvam': 'you', 'anujñātum': 'to permit, to give leave/consent', 'arhasi': 'you ought to

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Duryodhana
• Vyāsa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When worldly aims are exhausted and emotional closure is attained, one may turn toward disciplined renunciation (tapas). The verse frames austerity not as escapism but as a dharmic next step after fulfilling one’s remaining obligations and resolving grief.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being granted a vision of his departed sons (Duryodhana and others) through Vyāsa’s ascetic power, the speaker declares that his reason for continuing to live is fulfilled and asks for permission to withdraw into severe austerities.