Mahabharata
Prajāgara (035) (Dhṛtarāṣṭra's Night of Anxiety, Chapters 33–40)5.35.31-35
4229 / 15823
Mahabharata · 5.35.31-35
Devanāgarī

एष प्रह्राद पुत्रस् ते मया दत्तो विरोचनः ॥
पादप्रक्षालनं कुर्यात् कुमार्याः संनिधौ मम ॥
विदुर उवाच
तस्माद् राजेन्द्र भूम्यर्थे नानृतं वक्तुम् अर्हसि ॥
मा गमः ससुतामात्यो ऽत्ययं पुत्रान् अनुभ्रमन् ॥
न देवा यष्टिम् आदाय रक्षन्ति पशुपालवत् ॥
यं तु रक्षितुम् इच्छन्ति बुद्ध्या संविभजन्ति तम् ॥
यथा यथा हि पुरुषः कल्याणे कुरुते मनः ॥
तथा तथास्य सर्वार्थाः सिध्यन्ते नात्र संशयः ॥
न छन्दांसि वृजिनात् तारयन्ति; मायाविनं मायया वर्तमानम् ॥
नीडं शकुन्ता इव जातपक्षाश्; छन्दांस्य् एनं प्रजहत्य् अन्तकाले ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

eṣa prahrāda putras te mayā datto virocanaḥ ||
pādaprakṣālanaṃ kuryāt kumāryāḥ saṃnidhau mama ||
vidura uvāca
tasmād rājendra bhūmyarthe nānṛtaṃ vaktum arhasi ||
mā gamaḥ sasutāmātyo 'tyayaṃ putrān anubhraman ||
na devā yaṣṭim ādāya rakṣanti paśupālavat ||
yaṃ tu rakṣitum icchanti buddhyā saṃvibhajanti tam ||
yathā yathā hi puruṣaḥ kalyāṇe kurute manaḥ ||
tathā tathāsya sarvārthāḥ sidhyante nātra saṃśayaḥ ||
na chandāṃsi vṛjināt tārayanti; māyāvinaṃ māyayā vartamānam ||
nīḍaṃ śakuntā iva jātapakṣāś; chandāṃsy enaṃ prajahaty antakāle ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एषeṣathis; he
प्रह्रादprahrādaO Prahlada; Prahlada
पुत्रस्putrasson; descendant
तेtethey; those
मयाmayāby me; by my hand
दत्तोdattogiven; consecrated
विरोचनःvirocanaḥVirochana; Prahlada's son
पादप्रक्षालनंpādaprakṣālanaṃwashing of feet; cleansing of the feet
कुर्यात्kuryātwould do; would perform
कुमार्याःkumāryāḥof the maiden; of the princess
संनिधौsaṃnidhauin the presence of; before
ममmamato me; mine
विदुरviduraO Vidura; Vidura
उवाचuvācasaid; spoke
तस्माद्tasmādtherefore; for that reason
राजेन्द्रrājendraO best of kings; O king of kings
भूम्यर्थेbhūmyarthefor the sake of land; in the matter of land
नानृतंnānṛtaṃnot falsehood; not untruth
वक्तुम्vaktumto speak; to declare
अर्हसिarhasiyou ought; it befits you
माdo not; let not
गमःgamaḥgo; fall into
ससुतामात्योsasutāmātyowith sons and ministers; together with children and counselors
ऽत्ययं'tyayaṃruin; destruction
पुत्रान्putrānsons; descendants
अनुभ्रमन्anubhramanfollowing after; wandering after
nanot; no
देवाdevāgods; the celestials
यष्टिम्yaṣṭima staff; a rod
आदायādāyataking; having taken
रक्षन्तिrakṣantiprotect; guard
पशुपालवत्paśupālavatas a herdsman does; like a keeper of cattle
यंyaṃwhom; which
तुtubut; however
रक्षितुम्rakṣitumto protect; to guard
इच्छन्तिicchantithey desire; they wish
बुद्ध्याbuddhyāwith wisdom; by intellect
संविभजन्तिsaṃvibhajantithey endow; they apportion
तम्tamthat one; him
यथाyathāin whatever way; however
यथाyathāin whatever way; however
हिhiindeed; for
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥa man; a person
कल्याणेkalyāṇetoward the good; toward what is auspicious
कुरुतेkurutedirects; makes
मनःmanaḥmind; thought
तथाtathāso; thus
तथास्यtathāsyathus his; in that way his
सर्वार्थाःsarvārthāḥall his aims; all his objectives
सिध्यन्तेsidhyanteare achieved; succeed
नात्रnātrathere is no; in this there is no
संशयःsaṃśayaḥdoubt; uncertainty
nanot; no
छन्दांसिchandāṃsithe sacred hymns; the Vedic texts
वृजिनात्vṛjinātfrom wickedness; from iniquity
तारयन्तिtārayanticarry across; ferry over
मायाविनंmāyāvinaṃa deceiver; the crafty one
माययाmāyayāby deceit; by trickery
वर्तमानम्vartamānamliving; acting
नीडंnīḍaṃa nest; a dwelling
शकुन्ताśakuntābirds; the feathered ones
इवivaas; like
जातपक्षाश्jātapakṣāświth wings grown; having fledged
छन्दांस्य्chandāṃsythe sacred hymns; the Vedic texts
एनंenaṃhim; this one
प्रजहत्य्prajahatyabandon; forsake
अन्तकालेantakāleat the time of death; at life's end
Translation

"But, O Sudhanvan, I wish you to grant Virochana his life." Sudhanvan said: "Since, O Prahlada, you chose virtue and did not speak falsehood despite temptation, I grant your son the life so dear to you. Here then is your son Virochana, O Prahlada, restored to you by me. Yet he must wash my feet in the presence of the maiden Keshini." Vidura continued: "For these reasons, O king of kings, it does not befit you to speak falsehood for the sake of land. Having spoken untruth out of love for your son, O king, do not rush toward ruin together with all your children and counselors. The gods do not protect men by taking up staves, as herdsmen do; rather, upon those whom they wish to protect, they bestow wisdom. There is no doubt that a man's aims succeed in proportion to the attention he gives to righteousness and virtue. The Vedas never save a lying man who lives by falsehood from sin. On the contrary, they abandon him as he lies upon his deathbed, just as newly fledged birds abandon their nests.

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48ef4af568a5 · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02:44 AM UTC

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