Mahabharata
Prajāgara (033) (Dhṛtarāṣṭra's Night of Anxiety, Chapters 33–40)5.33.11-15
4187 / 15823
Mahabharata · 5.33.11-15
Devanāgarī

जाग्रतो दह्यमानस्य श्रेयो यद् इह पश्यसि ॥
तद् ब्रूहि त्वं हि नस् तात धर्मार्थकुशलो ह्य् असि ॥
यतः प्राप्तः संजयः पाण्डवेभ्यो; न मे यथावन् मनसः प्रशान्तिः ॥
सर्वेन्द्रियाण्य् अप्रकृतिं गतानि; किं वक्ष्यतीत्य् एव हि मे ऽद्य चिन्ता ॥
विदुर उवाच
अभियुक्तं बलवता दुर्बलं हीनसाधनम् ॥
हृतस्वं कामिनं चोरम् आविशन्ति प्रजागराः ॥
कच्चिद् एतैर् महादोषैर् न स्पृष्टो ऽसि नराधिप ॥
कच्चिन् न परवित्तेषु गृध्यन् विपरितप्यसे ॥
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
श्रोतुम् इच्छामि ते धर्म्यं परं नैःश्रेयसं वचः ॥
अस्मिन् राजर्षिवंशे हि त्वम् एकः प्राज्ञसंमतः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

jāgrato dahyamānasya śreyo yad iha paśyasi ||
tad brūhi tvaṃ hi nas tāta dharmārthakuśalo hy asi ||
yataḥ prāptaḥ saṃjayaḥ pāṇḍavebhyo; na me yathāvan manasaḥ praśāntiḥ ||
sarvendriyāṇy aprakṛtiṃ gatāni; kiṃ vakṣyatīty eva hi me 'dya cintā ||
vidura uvāca
abhiyuktaṃ balavatā durbalaṃ hīnasādhanam ||
hṛtasvaṃ kāminaṃ coram āviśanti prajāgarāḥ ||
kaccid etair mahādoṣair na spṛṣṭo 'si narādhipa ||
kaccin na paravitteṣu gṛdhyan viparitapyase ||
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
śrotum icchāmi te dharmyaṃ paraṃ naiḥśreyasaṃ vacaḥ ||
asmin rājarṣivaṃśe hi tvam ekaḥ prājñasaṃmataḥ ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जाग्रतोjāgratowaking; not sleeping
दह्यमानस्यdahyamānasyaburning; tormented
श्रेयोśreyogood; the best
यद्yadwhat; which
इहihahere; in this matter
पश्यसिpaśyasiyou see; you consider
तद्tadthat; this
ब्रूहिbrūhitell; declare
त्वंtvaṃyou; you indeed
हिhiindeed; for
नस्nasour; for us
तातtātadear one; my son
धर्मार्थकुशलोdharmārthakuśaloskilled in duty and profit; learned in dharma and gain
ह्य्hyindeed; truly
असिasiyou are; are
यतःyataḥsince; because
प्राप्तःprāptaḥhaving arrived; having reached
संजयःsaṃjayaḥSanjaya; the son of Gavalgana
पाण्डवेभ्योpāṇḍavebhyofrom the Pandavas; from the camp of the Pandavas
nanot; no
मेmemy; of mine
यथावन्yathāvanas it should be; in the proper manner
मनसःmanasaḥof the mind; of the heart
प्रशान्तिःpraśāntiḥpeace; tranquility
सर्वेन्द्रियाण्य्sarvendriyāṇyall the senses; all the organs of perception
अप्रकृतिंaprakṛtiṃan unnatural state; disorder
गतानिgatānihave come; have fallen
किंkiṃwhat; what kind of
वक्ष्यतीत्य्vakṣyatītywhat he will say; what he will speak
एवevaprecisely; indeed
हिhiindeed; for
मेmemy; of mine
ऽद्य'dyatoday; now
चिन्ताcintāanxiety; thought
विदुरviduraO Vidura; Vidura
उवाचuvācasaid; spoke
अभियुक्तंabhiyuktaṃassailed; oppressed
बलवताbalavatāby the powerful; by the mighty
दुर्बलंdurbalaṃthe weak; the feeble
हीनसाधनम्hīnasādhanamlacking resources; deprived of means
हृतस्वंhṛtasvaṃstripped of property; from whom wealth has been taken
कामिनंkāminaṃpossessed by desire; lustful
चोरम्corama thief; a robber
आविशन्तिāviśantiseize; enter into
प्रजागराःprajāgarāḥsleeplessness; nightly anxieties
कच्चिद्kaccidis it; is it not
एतैर्etairby these; by such
महादोषैर्mahādoṣairby great faults; by grave defects
nanot; no
स्पृष्टोspṛṣṭotouched; afflicted
ऽसि'siyou are; are
नराधिपnarādhipaO lord of men; king of men
कच्चिन्kaccinis it; is it not
nanot; no
परवित्तेषुparavitteṣufor another's wealth; for others' riches
गृध्यन्gṛdhyangreedily craving; coveting
विपरितप्यसेviparitapyaseyou are greatly tormented; you are anguished
धृतराष्ट्रdhṛtarāṣṭraDhritarashtra; King Dhritarashtra
उवाचuvācasaid; spoke
श्रोतुम्śrotumto hear; to listen to
इच्छामिicchāmiI wish; I want
तेtethey; those
धर्म्यंdharmyaṃrighteous; in accord with dharma
परंparaṃsupreme; the best
नैःश्रेयसंnaiḥśreyasaṃconducive to the highest good; salutary
वचःvacaḥword; speech
अस्मिन्asminin this; to this
राजर्षिवंशेrājarṣivaṃśein the line of royal sages; in the dynasty of rajarshis
हिhiindeed; for
त्वम्tvamyou; you indeed
एकःekaḥalone; singly
प्राज्ञसंमतःprājñasaṃmataḥesteemed by the wise; honored by the intelligent
Translation

'In this line of royal sages, the wise honor you alone.' Vidura replied: 'The king (Yudhishthira), endowed with every virtue, is worthy of ruling the three worlds; yet, O Dhritarashtra, however worthy he may be of being kept beside you, he has been banished by you. You, however, possess qualities directly opposite to those he possesses. Though you are virtuous and versed in morality, you still have no claim to a share of the kingdom because of your loss of sight. Through his harmlessness and kindness, his righteousness, his love of truth and his energy, and because he remembers the reverence due to you, Yudhishthira patiently bears countless wrongs. Having entrusted the governance of the empire to Duryodhana, the son of Suvala, to Karna, and to Duhshasana, how can you hope for prosperity? He who does not attain the high aims of life through self-knowledge, effort, patience, and steadfastness in virtue is called wise. These, again, are the marks of a wise man: the pursuit of praiseworthy deeds and the rejection of the reprehensible, faith, and reverence.'

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23f6ad7e5755 · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02:44 AM UTC

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