Mahabharata
Prajāgara (037) (Dhṛtarāṣṭra's Night of Anxiety, Chapters 33–40)5.37.6-10
4253 / 15823
Mahabharata · 5.37.6-10
Devanāgarī

यश् चैव लब्ध्वा न स्मरामीत्य् उवाच; दत्त्वा च यः कत्थति याच्यमानः ॥
यश् चासतः सान्त्वम् उपासतीह; एते ऽनुयान्त्य् अनिलं पाशहस्ताः ॥
यस्मिन् यथा वर्तते यो मनुष्यस्; तस्मिंस् तथा वर्तितव्यं स धर्मः ॥
मायाचारो मायया वर्तितव्यः; साध्व् आचारः साधुना प्रत्युदेयः ॥
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
शतायुर् उक्तः पुरुषः सर्ववेदेषु वै यदा ॥
नाप्नोत्य् अथ च तत् सर्वम् आयुः केनेह हेतुना ॥
विदुर उवाच
अतिवादो ऽतिमानश् च तथात्यागो नराधिप ॥
क्रोधश् चातिविवित्सा च मित्रद्रोहश् च तानि षट् ॥
एत एवासयस् तीक्ष्णाः कृन्तन्त्य् आयूंषि देहिनाम् ॥
एतानि मानवान् घ्नन्ति न मृत्युर् भद्रम् अस्तु ते ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

yaś caiva labdhvā na smarāmīty uvāca; dattvā ca yaḥ katthati yācyamānaḥ ||
yaś cāsataḥ sāntvam upāsatīha; ete 'nuyānty anilaṃ pāśahastāḥ ||
yasmin yathā vartate yo manuṣyas; tasmiṃs tathā vartitavyaṃ sa dharmaḥ ||
māyācāro māyayā vartitavyaḥ; sādhv ācāraḥ sādhunā pratyudeyaḥ ||
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
śatāyur uktaḥ puruṣaḥ sarvavedeṣu vai yadā ||
nāpnoty atha ca tat sarvam āyuḥ keneha hetunā ||
vidura uvāca
ativādo 'timānaś ca tathātyāgo narādhipa ||
krodhaś cātivivitsā ca mitradrohaś ca tāni ṣaṭ ||
eta evāsayas tīkṣṇāḥ kṛntanty āyūṃṣi dehinām ||
etāni mānavān ghnanti na mṛtyur bhadram astu te ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यश्yaśwho; the one who
चैवcaivaand indeed; and precisely
लब्ध्वाlabdhvāhaving obtained; having received
nanot; no
स्मरामीत्य्smarāmītythat I do not remember; saying: I do not remember
उवाचuvācasaid; spoke
दत्त्वाdattvāhaving given; having donated
caand; also
यःyaḥwho; whoever
कत्थतिkatthatiboasts; brags
याच्यमानःyācyamānaḥwhen asked; being begged
यश्yaśwho; the one who
चासतःcāsataḥand of the wicked; and of the unrighteous
सान्त्वम्sāntvama kind word; comfort
उपासतीहupāsatīharesorts to in this world; serves in this life
एतेetethese; they
ऽनुयान्त्य्'nuyāntyfollow; go after
अनिलंanilaṃthe wind; Vayu
पाशहस्ताःpāśahastāḥwith nooses in hand; holding lassos
यस्मिन्yasminin whom; toward whom
यथाyathāas; in whatever way
वर्ततेvartatebehaves; conducts himself
योyowho; the one who
मनुष्यस्manuṣyasa man; a person
तस्मिंस्tasmiṃstoward him; in regard to him
तथाtathāthus; in that way
वर्तितव्यंvartitavyaṃone should behave; one ought to act
sathat; this
धर्मःdharmaḥdharma; righteousness
मायाचारोmāyācārothe deceitful in conduct; one who acts by guile
माययाmāyayāwith guile; with deceit
वर्तितव्यःvartitavyaḥshould be dealt with; one ought to act toward him
साध्व्sādhvwell; rightly
आचारःācāraḥconduct; manner of action
साधुनाsādhunāwith goodness; with righteousness
प्रत्युदेयःpratyudeyaḥshould be met; ought to be answered
धृतराष्ट्रdhṛtarāṣṭraDhritarashtra; King Dhritarashtra
उवाचuvācasaid; spoke
शतायुर्śatāyura hundred years of life; having a lifespan of a hundred years
उक्तःuktaḥsaid; thus taught
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥa man; a person
सर्ववेदेषुsarvavedeṣuin all the sacred texts; in the whole of Vedic knowledge
वैvaiindeed; truly
यदाyadāwhen; if
नाप्नोत्य्nāpnotydoes not attain; does not obtain
अथathathen; yet
caand; also
तत्tatthat; this
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
आयुःāyuḥspan of life; longevity
केनेहkenehafor what reason in this world; why in this life
हेतुनाhetunāby cause; by reason
विदुरviduraO Vidura; Vidura
उवाचuvācasaid; spoke
अतिवादोativādoexcessive speech; talkativeness
ऽतिमानश्'timānaśexcessive arrogance; haughtiness
caand; also
तथात्यागोtathātyāgoand likewise lack of generosity; and refusal to give
नराधिपnarādhipaO lord of men; ruler of men
क्रोधश्krodhaśanger; wrath
चातिविवित्साcātivivitsāand excessive curiosity; and the desire to know too much
caand; also
मित्रद्रोहश्mitradrohaśbetrayal of a friend; enmity toward a friend
caand; also
तानिtānithese; they
षट्ṣaṭsix; the six
एतetathese; such
एवासयस्evāsayasthese very swords; these sharp weapons
तीक्ष्णाःtīkṣṇāḥsharp; keen
कृन्तन्त्य्kṛntantycut; sever
आयूंषिāyūṃṣithe spans of life; the lives
देहिनाम्dehināmof embodied beings; of those in bodies
एतानिetānithese; these very
मानवान्mānavānmen; human beings
घ्नन्तिghnantikill; destroy
nanot; no
मृत्युर्mṛtyurdeath; Mrityu
भद्रम्bhadramgood; blessing
अस्तुastumay it be; let it be
तेtethey; those
Translation

The messengers of Yama, nooses in hand, drag such men down to hell. A man should behave toward another exactly as that other behaves toward him -- even this accords with sound policy. One may deal falsely with one who deals falsely, but honestly with one whose conduct is honest. Old age destroys beauty; hope destroys patience; death destroys life; worldly pleasures destroy the practice of virtue; lust destroys modesty; the company of the wicked destroys good conduct; anger destroys prosperity; and pride destroys all things. Dhritarashtra said: "It is declared in all the Vedas that a man is allotted a hundred years of life. For what reason, then, do not all men reach that full span?" Vidura said: "Excessive pride, excess in speech, excess in eating, anger, the craving for pleasures, and inner discord -- these, O king, are six sharp swords that cut short the lifespan allotted to beings. It is these that slay men, not death itself. Knowing this, blessed are you!" He who takes for himself the wife of one who trusted him; he who defiles the bed of his teacher; that brahmin, O descendant of Bharata, who becomes the husband of a shudra woman or who drinks wine; he who reviles brahmins, or sets himself up as their master, or seizes the lands that sustain them; and he who takes the life of those who, seeking protection, submit to him -- all these are guilty of the sin of killing a brahmin.

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8804a13ea3fd · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02:44 AM UTC

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