यदा मां चैव भार्यां च द्रष्टासि भृशदुर्बले ॥
न तदा जीवितेनार्थो भविता तव संजय ॥
दासकर्मकरान् भृत्यान् आचार्यर्त्विक् पुरोहितान् ॥
अवृत्त्यास्मान् प्रजहतो दृष्ट्वा किं जीवितेन ते ॥
यदि कृत्यं न पश्यामि तवाद्येह यथा पुरा ॥
श्लाघनीयं यशस्यं च का शान्तिर् हृदयस्य मे ॥
नेति चेद् ब्राह्मणान् ब्रूयां दीर्यते हृदयं मम ॥
न ह्य् अहं न च मे भर्ता नेति ब्राह्मणम् उक्तवान् ॥
वयम् आश्रयणीयाः स्म नाश्रितारः परस्य च ॥
सान्यान् आश्रित्य जीवन्ती परित्यक्ष्यामि जीवितम् ॥
yadā māṃ caiva bhāryāṃ ca draṣṭāsi bhṛśadurbale ||
na tadā jīvitenārtho bhavitā tava saṃjaya ||
dāsakarmakarān bhṛtyān ācāryartvik purohitān ||
avṛttyāsmān prajahato dṛṣṭvā kiṃ jīvitena te ||
yadi kṛtyaṃ na paśyāmi tavādyeha yathā purā ||
ślāghanīyaṃ yaśasyaṃ ca kā śāntir hṛdayasya me ||
neti ced brāhmaṇān brūyāṃ dīryate hṛdayaṃ mama ||
na hy ahaṃ na ca me bhartā neti brāhmaṇam uktavān ||
vayam āśrayaṇīyāḥ sma nāśritāraḥ parasya ca ||
sānyān āśritya jīvantī parityakṣyāmi jīvitam ||
‘When you see me and your wife utterly weakened, then for you, Sanjaya, life will no longer hold any meaning. If you see slaves, laborers, servants, teachers, priests, and household chaplains abandoning us for lack of means, what use is life to you? If today I see in you no worthy deed, praiseworthy and glorious as before, what peace can there be in my heart? If I must say “no” to brahmins, my heart is torn apart. Neither I nor my husband ever said “no” to a brahmin. We were those to whom others came for shelter, not those who depend on others; and living dependent on others, I shall abandon life.’
94137dc086ff · published Jul 17, 2026, 5:59:56 AM UTC
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Vidura continues to instruct his son in the spirit of kshatriya dharma: a life without dignity, without support for one's own people, and without readiness to act becomes a slow death. Strength here is needed not for the sake of pride, but for the protection of family, duty, and rightful standing.