विदुर उवाच योऽभ्यर्चितः सद्भिरसज्जमानः करोत्यर्थं शक्तिमहापयित्वा। मलं प्रसन्ना हि सुखाय सन्तः॥
Vidura said The good man who, respected by the virtuous, is engaged in the attainment of his objects without going beyond his limits, soon gains fame, for good beings when gratified with a good man give him happiness.
महान्तमप्यर्थमधर्मयुक्तं यः संत्यजत्यनपाकृष्ट एव। सुखं सुदुःखान्यवमुच्य शेते जीर्णां त्वचं सर्प इवावमुच्य॥
He who forsakes, without any inducement, a grand object which is fraught with unrighteousness, lies in happiness free from misery like a snake casting off the worn out slough.
अनृते च समुत्कर्षो राजगामि च पैशुनम्। गुरोचालीकनिर्बन्धः समानि ब्रह्महत्यया॥
A victory gained by untruth, a deceit that reaches (in its injurious effects) a king and the expression of false intentions before an elder na. are
असूयैकपदं मृत्युरतिवादः श्रियो वधः। अशुश्रूषा त्वरा श्लाघा विद्यायाः शत्रवस्त्रयः॥
A monopoly of jealously, death and vanity conduce to the destruction of prosperity. The want of proper attention to the elder, haste and boastfulness the three enemies of knowledge.
आलस्यं मदमोहौ च चापलं गोष्ठिरेव च। स्तब्धता चाभिमानित्वं तथात्यागित्वमेव च। एते वै सप्त दोषाः स्युः सदा विद्यार्थिनां मताः॥
Laziness, inattention and confusion of the brains, unsteadiness, clubbing together, haughtiness, variety and covetousness.
सुखार्थिनः कुतो विद्या नास्ति विद्यार्थिनः सुखम्। सुखार्थी वा त्येजद् विद्या विद्यार्थी वा त्यजेत् सुखम्।।
These seven are ever the defects in those that are striving for knowledge, is my opinion; where is knowledge in those that care for pleasures and there is pleasure for those that care for knowledge. Knowledge should pronounce pleasure.
नाग्निस्तृप्यति काष्ठानां नापगानां महोदधिः। नान्तकः सर्वभूतानां न पुंसां वामलोचना॥
One who cares for pleasures should renounce knowledge; and one that cares for knowledge should renounce pleases. Fire is never satiated with fuel; the great ocean, with rivers; death, with all the creatures; and a pretty woman, with men.
आशा धृति हन्ति समृद्धिमन्तकः क्रोधः श्रियं हन्ति कदर्यता। त्रेकः क्रुद्धो ब्राह्मणो हन्ति राष्ट्रम्॥
Hope kills patience; death kills development; anger kills prosperity; miserliness kills fame; want of proper tending kills animals; and, O king, one single wrathful Brahmana destroys a kingdom,
अजाश्च कांस्यं रजतं च नित्यं मध्वाकर्षः शुकनिः श्रोत्रियश्च। वृद्धो ज्ञातिरवसन्नः कुलीन एतानि ते सन्तु गृहे सदैव।॥
Goats, white metal, silver, honey, that which draws away (poison), birds, Brahmanas having a knowledge of the holy books, old cousins, persons of good birth but poor, let these ever stay in your house.
अजोक्षा चन्दनं वीणा आदर्शो मधुसर्पिषी। विषमौदुम्बरं शङ्खः स्वर्णनाभोऽथ रोचना॥
Goat, bull, sandal, flute, mirror, honey, clarified butter, iron, copper utensil, conchshells, pieces of stone (images of Vishnu) with gold within and Rochana (a pigment prepared from the urine and dung of cow).
गृहे स्थापयितव्यानि धन्यानि मनुरब्रवीत्। देवब्राह्मणपूजार्थमतिथीनां च भारत॥
Are always to be kept in a blessed houseManu has said-for the proper worship of the gods, the Brahmanas and guests, OBharata.
इदं च त्वां सर्वपरं ब्रवीमि पुण्यं पदं तात महाविशिष्टम्। न जातु कामान भयान्न लोभाद् धर्मं जह्याज्जीवितस्यापि हेतोः॥
I now speak of another sacred lesson, O sire, superior in sacredness to all these, fraught with a large meaning. Virtue should not be forsaken out of desire, fear, temptation, nor for the sake of life itself.
नित्यो धर्मः सुखदुःखे त्वनित्ये जीवो नित्यो हेतुरस्य त्वनित्यः। त्यक्त्वानित्यं प्रतितिष्ठस्व नित्ये संतुष्य त्वं तोषपरो हि लाभः॥
Virtue is stable; happiness and misery are unstable; life is stable but its ever recurring phases unstable; forsaking the unstable; keep yourself attached to the stable and be satisfied, for satisfaction is superior to all other acquirements.
महाबलान् पश्य महानुभावान् प्रशास्य भूमिं धनधान्यपूर्णाम्। राज्यानि हित्वा विपुलांश्च भोगान् गतान् नरेन्द्रान् वशमन्तकस्य॥
Behold rulers of men endued with great strength and great luster. After having ruled the land abouunding in wealth and corn, they have forsaken their kingdoms and great sources of enjoyments and have been subject to the God of death.
मृतं पुत्रं दुःखपुष्टं मनुष्या उत्क्षिप्य राजन् स्वगृहान्निर्हरन्ति। तं मुक्तकेशाः करुणं रुदन्ति चितामध्ये काष्ठमिव क्षिपन्ति॥
Men after having taken away a dead son tended with greatest care, O king, set out from their own houses; and with the hair hanging loose they mourn for him piteously and then throw him into the funeral pyre like a piece of wood.
अन्यो धनं प्रेतगतस्य भुङ्क्ते वयांसि चाग्निश्च शरीरधातून्। द्वाभ्यामयं सह गच्छत्यमुत्र पुण्येन पापेन च वेष्ट्यमानः॥
The corn and wealth of the dead are enjoyed by others; and the elements of the body are eaten up by fire and birds. Surrounded by these two only, viz., virtue and sin, does a man go to the other world.
उत्सृज्य विनिवर्तन्ते ज्ञातयः सुहृदः सुताः। अपुष्पानफलान् वृक्षान् यथा तात पतत्रिणः॥
After leaving behind the body, do the cousins, friends and sons return as birds do trees devoid of blossoms and fruits.
अग्नौ प्रास्तं तु पुरुषं कर्मान्वेति स्वयंकृतम्। तस्मात् तु पुरुषो यत्नाद् धर्मं संचिनुयाच्छनैः॥
Deeds done by his own self follow a man thrown into the funeral pyre; therefore should a man carefully and in slow degrees pick up the fruits of virtue.
अस्माल्लोकादूर्ध्वममुष्य चाधो महत् तमस्तिष्ठति ह्यन्धकारम्। तद् वै महामोहनमिन्द्रियाणां बुध्यस्व मा त्वां प्रलभेत राजन्॥
Elsewhere, above this world and also below, there is the greatest darkness. In these regions, know, O king, that the senses are totally stupefied; may such places be not yours.
निशम्य सर्वं प्रतिपत्तुमेव। यशः परं प्राप्स्यसि जीवलोके भयं न चामुत्र न चेह तेऽस्ति।॥
After listening to these world of mine, if you can follow them in their entirely, you will get great fame in this world of living beings and you will never meet with fear here in this world or elsewhere.
आत्मा नदी भारत पुण्यतीर्था सत्योदका धृतिकूला दयोर्मिः। तस्यां स्नातः पूयते पुम्यकर्मा पुण्यो ह्यात्मा नित्यमलोभ एव॥
The soul is as the river, O Bharata, having several holy spots; truth is as its waters; selfcontrol, its banks; and kindness, its waves; the man of virtuous acts purifies himself be a bath therein; the soul is pure and the absence of desire is a virtue.
कामक्रोधग्राहवतीं पञ्चेन्द्रियजला नदीम्। नावं धृतिमयीं कृत्वा जन्मदुर्गाणि संतर॥
Making a boat of your self-control in the river (of life which has the five senses for its water and desire and anger its monsters, cross over (i.e. get rid of) the waves of repeated births.
प्रज्ञावृद्धं धर्मवृद्धं स्वबन्धु विद्यावृद्धं वयसा चापि वृद्धम्। कार्याकार्ये पूजयित्वा प्रसाद्य यः सम्पृच्छेन्न स मुह्येत् कदाचित्॥
He who after doing due honours to such of his friends as are old in wisdom, old in virtue, old in knowledge and old in age asks them regarding what ought to be done and what ought not to be done is seldom deceived.
धृत्या शिश्नोदरं रक्षेत् पाणिपादं च चक्षुषा। चक्षुःश्रोत्रे च मनसा मनो वाचं च कर्मणा॥
By patience should lust and greediness be restrained; by the ages should the hands and feet be controlled, the eyes and ears by the mind; and the mind and speech by one's actions.
नित्योदकी नित्ययज्ञोपवीती नित्यस्वाध्यायी पतितान्नवर्जी। सत्यं ब्रुवन् गुरवे कर्म कुर्वन् न ब्राह्मणश्च्यवते ब्रह्मलोकात्॥
The Brahmana, ever attached to the performance of his ablutions, ever having the holy thread on his body, ever studying (the Vedas), who avoids food touched or offered by a person who has lost his caste, who always speaks the truth and fulfills his duties towards his elders, never falls down from the region of Brahma.
निष्ट्वा यज्ञैः पालयित्वा प्रजाश्च। गोब्राह्मणार्थ शस्त्रपूतान्तरात्मा हतः संग्रामे क्षत्रियः स्वर्गमेति॥
After having studied the Vedas, poured offerings fire, performed sacrificial ceremonies, protected subjects, made his inner self blessed by drawing his weapons for the protection of cows and Brahmanas and being killed in battle, a Kshatriya goes to heaven.
वैश्योऽधीत्य ब्राह्मणान् क्षत्रियांश्च धनैः काले संविभज्याश्रितांश्च। त्रेतापूतं धूममाघ्राय पुण्यं प्रेत्य स्वर्गे दिव्यसुखानि भुङ्क्ते॥
A Shudra, after worshipping in due order Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas; and a Vaishya, having completed his study and on distributed his wealth among Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and among his dependents and after having smelt the sacred smokes purified by the three sorts of fire, enjoy heavenly bliss after death.
ब्रह्म क्षत्रं वैश्यवर्णं च शूद्रः क्रमेणैतान् न्यायतः पूजयानः। स्त्यक्त्वा देहं स्वर्गसुखानि भुङ्क्ते॥
These having been satisfied, they become devoid of sins by burning them and casting off their body enjoy heavenly bliss.
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्यैष धर्मस्तवोक्तो हेतुं चानुब्रुवतो मे निबोध। स्तं त्वं राजन् राजधर्मे नियुक्ष्वा॥
Such are the duties of the four orders told to you. Listen to the reason of my describing them. The son of Pandu (Yudhishthira) is falling from the duties of a Kshatriya; O king, you place him in a position to discharge the duties of a king.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच एवमेतद् यथा त्वं मामनुशाससि नित्यदा। ममापि च मतिः सौम्य भवत्येवं यथाऽऽत्य माम्॥३०
Dhritarashtra said It is even as you have been instructing me constantly; my inclination, too, turns towards peace, of which you speak to me.
सा तु बुद्धिः कृताप्येवं पाण्डवान् प्रति मे सदा। दुर्योधनं समासाद्य पुनर्विपरिवर्तते॥
My inclination through made to turn towards the Pandavas constantly turns away in a contrary; direction by coming in contact with Duryodhana.
न दिष्टमभ्यतिक्रान्तुं शक्यं भूतेन केनचित्। दिष्टमेव ध्रुवं मन्ये पौरुषं तु निरर्थकम्॥
Destiny cannot be transgressed by any created beings. I consider that destiny alone is certain; human exertion is vain.