Shloka 9
Saṃsāra-mārga-vistaraḥ
Vidura’s Expanded Account of the Path
Devanagari script
अथापि तैरविमुच्येत व्याधिभि: पुरुषो नृप । आवृणोत्येव तं पश्चाज्जरा रूपविनाशिनी
Transliteration
athāpi tair avimucyeta vyādhibhiḥ puruṣo nṛpa | āvṛṇoty eva taṃ paścāj jarā rūpavināśinī ||
Translation
“大王啊，即便有人能摆脱那些疾病，随后衰老——摧毁容色与形相者——也必定追上他。”
Word by Word
अथthen/now
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
तैःby those (i.e., by them/with those)
तैः:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine/neuter, instrumental, plural
विमुच्येतmight be freed/should be released
विमुच्येत:
TypeVerb
Rootवि + मुच्
Formvidhi-ling (optative), atmanepada, 3rd, singular, kartari
व्याधिभिःby diseases
व्याधिभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootव्याधि
Formmasculine, instrumental, plural
पुरुषःa man/person
पुरुषः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुष
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
नृपO king
नृप:
TypeNoun
Rootनृप
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
आवृणोतिcovers/envelops
आवृणोति:
TypeVerb
Rootआ + वृ
Formlat (present indicative), parasmaipada, 3rd, singular, kartari
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
तम्him/that person
तम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine, accusative, singular
पश्चात्afterwards
पश्चात्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपश्चात्
जराold age
जरा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootजरा
Formfeminine, nominative, singular
रूपविनाशिनीdestroying beauty/form
रूपविनाशिनी:
TypeAdjective
Rootरूपविनाशिनी
Formfeminine, nominative, singular
Speaker
विदुर उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
ViduraN
nṛpa (the king, addressed)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
Even if one avoids illness, old age inevitably arrives and erodes beauty and bodily strength; therefore one should not cling to the body or external appearances, but cultivate steadiness, discernment, and dharmic conduct.
In the Stree Parva’s aftermath of war and mourning, Vidura addresses the king with sobering counsel, pointing to the unavoidable forces of disease and especially old age to frame human life as fragile and transient.