वैशंपायन उवाच
ततो राजा धृतराष्ट्रो मनीषी; संपूज्य वाक्यं विदुरेरितं तत् ॥
सनत्सुजातं रहिते महात्मा; पप्रच्छ बुद्धिं परमां बुभूषन् ॥
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
सनत्सुजात यदीदं शृणोमि; मृत्युर् हि नास्तीति तवोपदेशम् ॥
देवासुरा ह्य् आचरन् ब्रह्मचर्यम्; अमृत्यवे तत् कतरन् नु सत्यम् ॥
सनत्सुजात उवाच
अमृत्युः कर्मणा के चिन् मृत्युर् नास्तीति चापरे ॥
शृणु मे ब्रुवतो राजन् यथैतन् मा विशङ्किथाः ॥
उभे सत्ये क्षत्रियाद्यप्रवृत्ते; मोहो मृत्युः संमतो यः कवीनाम् ॥
प्रमादं वै मृत्युम् अहं ब्रवीमि; सदाप्रमादम् अमृतत्वं ब्रवीमि ॥
प्रमादाद् वै असुराः पराभवन्न्; अप्रमादाद् ब्रह्मभूता भवन्ति ॥
न वै मृत्युर् व्याघ्र इवात्ति जन्तून्; न ह्य् अस्य रूपम् उपलभ्यते ह ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tato rājā dhṛtarāṣṭro manīṣī; saṃpūjya vākyaṃ vidureritaṃ tat ||
sanatsujātaṃ rahite mahātmā; papraccha buddhiṃ paramāṃ bubhūṣan ||
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
sanatsujāta yadīdaṃ śṛṇomi; mṛtyur hi nāstīti tavopadeśam ||
devāsurā hy ācaran brahmacaryam; amṛtyave tat kataran nu satyam ||
sanatsujāta uvāca
amṛtyuḥ karmaṇā ke cin mṛtyur nāstīti cāpare ||
śṛṇu me bruvato rājan yathaitan mā viśaṅkithāḥ ||
ubhe satye kṣatriyādyapravṛtte; moho mṛtyuḥ saṃmato yaḥ kavīnām ||
pramādaṃ vai mṛtyum ahaṃ bravīmi; sadāpramādam amṛtatvaṃ bravīmi ||
pramādād vai asurāḥ parābhavann; apramādād brahmabhūtā bhavanti ||
na vai mṛtyur vyāghra ivātti jantūn; na hy asya rūpam upalabhyate ha ||
Vaishampayana said: 'Then the renowned and wise King Dhritarashtra, praising the words spoken by Vidura, questioned Sanatsujata in private, wishing to obtain the highest of all knowledge — which of these two views is true?' Sanatsujata said: 'Some say that death can be averted by certain actions; others hold that death does not exist at all; you have asked me which of these is true. Listen to me, O king, as I tell you this, so that your doubts may be dispelled. Know, O kshatriya, that both these statements are true. The learned hold the view that death comes from ignorance. I say that ignorance is Death, and therefore the absence of ignorance — that is, Knowledge — is immortality. It was through ignorance that the asuras became subject to defeat and death, and it was through the absence of ignorance that the gods attained the nature of Brahman. Death does not devour beings as a tiger does; its very form is indefinite. Moreover, some regard Yama as death. Yet this arises from a weakness of the mind. The aspiration toward Brahman, or toward self-knowledge, is immortality. This (imagined) god (Yama) rules over the realm of the Pitris, being the source of bliss for the virtuous and grief for sinners. By his command, death in the form of anger, ignorance, and greed occurs among men. Yielding to pride, men always follow the path of unrighteousness. Not one of them succeeds in attaining his true nature. With clouded understanding, and yielding to their passions, they leave their bodies and fall repeatedly into hell.'
14cdedfa3eca · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:31:17 AM UTC
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This passage (5.42.1-5) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace is already underway against the backdrop of an inevitable war. Key figures: Dhritarashtra, Vidura. Dharma is revealed here through speech, the choice of embassy, fidelity to one's word, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.