Mahabharata 2.57.13–15

Dyūta-parva (duryodhana-vidura-saṃvāda) (Duryodhana Rejects Vidura)2.57.13–15

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Mahabharata · 2.57.13–15

॥

Devanāgarī

विदुर उवाच
एतावता ये पुरुषं त्यजन्ति; तेषां सख्यम् अन्तवद् ब्रूहि राजन् ॥
राज्ञां हि चित्तानि परिप्लुतानि; सान्त्वं दत्त्वा मुसलैर् घातयन्ति ॥
अबालस् त्वं मन्यसे राजपुत्र; बालो ऽहम् इत्य् एव सुमन्दबुद्धे ॥
यः सौहृदे पुरुषं स्थापयित्वा; पश्चाद् एनं दूषयते स बालः ॥
न श्रेयसे नीयते मन्दबुद्धिः; स्त्री श्रोत्रियस्येव गृहे प्रदुष्टा ॥
ध्रुवं न रोचेद् भरतर्षभस्य; पतिः कुमार्या इव षष्टिवर्षः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

vidura uvāca
etāvatā ye puruṣaṃ tyajanti; teṣāṃ sakhyam antavad brūhi rājan ||
rājñāṃ hi cittāni pariplutāni; sāntvaṃ dattvā musalair ghātayanti ||
abālas tvaṃ manyase rājaputra; bālo 'ham ity eva sumandabuddhe ||
yaḥ sauhṛde puruṣaṃ sthāpayitvā; paścād enaṃ dūṣayate sa bālaḥ ||
na śreyase nīyate mandabuddhiḥ; strī śrotriyasyeva gṛhe praduṣṭā ||
dhruvaṃ na roced bharatarṣabhasya; patiḥ kumāryā iva ṣaṣṭivarṣaḥ ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

एतावता ये पुरुषं त्यजन्तिetāvatā ye puruṣaṃ tyajanti"those who abandon a man over so [little] —

तेषां सख्यम् अन्तवद् ब्रूहि राजन्teṣāṃ sakhyam antavad brūhi rājantheir friendship, I tell you, O king, has an end;

राज्ञां हि चित्तानि परिप्लुतानिrājñāṃ hi cittāni pariplutānifor the minds of kings are fickle:

सान्त्वं दत्त्वा मुसलैर् घातयन्तिsāntvaṃ dattvā musalair ghātayantihaving shown affection, they kill with clubs;

अबालस् त्वं मन्यसे राज-पुत्रabālas tvaṃ manyase rāja-putrayou think yourself no child, O king's son,

बालो ऽहम् इत्य् एव सु-मन्द-बुद्धेbālo 'ham ity eva su-manda-buddheand me a child, O dullest of minds;

यः सौहृदे पुरुषं स्थापयित्वाyaḥ sauhṛde puruṣaṃ sthāpayitvābut [the true child is he] who, having placed a man in friendship,

पश्चाद् एनं दूषयते स बालःpaścād enaṃ dūṣayate sa bālaḥafterward defames him — he is the child;

न श्रेयसे नीयते मन्द-बुद्धिःna śreyase nīyate manda-buddhiḥthe dull-witted cannot be led to good,

स्त्री श्रोत्रियस्य इव गृहे प्रदुष्टाstrī śrotriyasya iva gṛhe praduṣṭājust as a depraved wife cannot in the house of a learned brahmin;

ध्रुवं न रोचेद् भरतर्षभस्यdhruvaṃ na roced bharatarṣabhasyasurely my [words] will not please the bull of the Bharatas,

पतिः कुमार्या इव षष्टि-वर्षःpatiḥ kumāryā iva ṣaṣṭi-varṣaḥjust as a sixty-year-old husband does not please a maiden."

विदुरviduraoriginal form "vidura", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

राजपुत्रrājaputraoriginal form "rājaputra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

सुमन्दबुद्धेsumandabuddheoriginal form "sumandabuddhe", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

मन्दबुद्धिःmandabuddhiḥoriginal form "mandabuddhiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

श्रोत्रियस्येवśrotriyasyevaoriginal form "śrotriyasyeva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

षष्टिवर्षःṣaṣṭivarṣaḥoriginal form "ṣaṣṭivarṣaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

Translation

[Vidura:] "Those who abandon a man over so little — their friendship, I tell you, O king, does not last; for the minds of kings are fickle: having shown affection, they kill with clubs. You, O king's son, think yourself no child, and me a child, O dullest of minds; but the true child is the one who, having placed a man in friendship, afterward defames him. The dull-witted cannot be led to the good, any more than a depraved wife in the house of a learned brahmin; surely my words will not please the bull of the Bharatas, any more than a sixty-year-old husband pleases a maiden."

Commentary

Vidura answers abuse not with abuse but with a bitter truth: the minds of kings are fickle — "having shown affection, they kill with clubs." His calm in the face of banishment is telling: though insulted, he reasons rather than rages. The verse teaches that the truly grown is not the one who thinks himself an adult, but the one who is faithful in friendship: "the child is he who, having made a man his friend, afterward defames him." And "the dull-witted cannot be led to the good" is a sad truth about the limits of counsel: there are minds incurable by advice, as the corrupted cannot be set right even in a holy house. Vidura sees clearly that his truth will not be accepted — and speaks it nonetheless, for the duty to speak it matters more than being heard.

Version

fd2ed8cfc2b4 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:03:37 PM UTC

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