Shloka 16

हंस–साध्यसंवादः, वाक्-निग्रहः, महाकुल-लक्षणम्, शान्ति-उपायः

Hamsa–Sādhya Dialogue; Restraint of Speech; Marks of Noble Lineage; Means to Peace

Devanagari script

यो हि धर्म समाश्रित्य हित्वा भर्तु: प्रियाप्रिये । अप्रियाण्याह पथ्यानि तेन राजा सहायवान्‌

Transliteration

yo hi dharmam samāśritya hitvā bhartuḥ priyāpriye | apriyāṇy āha pathyāni tena rājā sahāyavān ||

Translation

若有人依止于法（dharma），不计君上喜恶，纵使逆耳亦直言其所当言、其所益者——凭此人，君王方得真实之辅佐。

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समाश्रित्य: having resorted to
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage as indeclinable gerund)

• हित्वा: having abandoned, giving up
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (जहाति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage as indeclinable gerund)

• भर्तुः: of the master/lord (husband/king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रियाप्रिये: in (matters of) the pleasing and the displeasing
• प्रियाप्रिये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय + अप्रिय
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Dual

• अप्रियाणि: unpleasant (things/words)
• अप्रियाणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रिय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• आह: says, speaks
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (ब्रू/वद् sense; perfect of √अह्/आह)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पथ्यानि: wholesome, beneficial (words)
• पथ्यानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पथ्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• तेन: by him; through that (person)
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सहायवान्: having a helper; truly supported
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहायवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• rājā (the king)
• bhartṛ (the lord/master)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king’s real helper is the counselor who stands on dharma and speaks beneficial truth even when it is unwelcome, without tailoring advice to what the ruler likes to hear.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura is instructing the ruler on what constitutes genuine support in governance: not flattery, but dharma-grounded counsel that prioritizes the king’s welfare and the right course over personal approval.