यदैव लभते वीरः सुयुद्धेन महद् यशः ॥
तदैव प्रव्यथन्ते ऽस्य शत्रवो विनमन्ति च ॥
त्यक्त्वात्मानं रणे दक्षं शूरं कापुरुषा जनाः ॥
अवशाः पूरयन्ति स्म सर्वकामसमृद्धिभिः ॥
राज्यं वाप्य् उग्रविभ्रंशं संशयो जीवितस्य वा ॥
प्रलब्धस्य हि शत्रोर् वै शेषं कुर्वन्ति साधवः ॥
स्वर्गद्वारोपमं राज्यम् अथ वाप्य् अमृतोपमम् ॥
रुद्धम् एकायने मत्वा पतोल्मुक इवारिषु ॥
जहि शत्रून् रणे राजन् स्वधर्मम् अनुपालय ॥
मा त्वा पश्येत् सुकृपणं शत्रुः श्रीमान् कदा चन ॥
yadaiva labhate vīraḥ suyuddhena mahad yaśaḥ ||
tadaiva pravyathante 'sya śatravo vinamanti ca ||
tyaktvātmānaṃ raṇe dakṣaṃ śūraṃ kāpuruṣā janāḥ ||
avaśāḥ pūrayanti sma sarvakāmasamṛddhibhiḥ ||
rājyaṃ vāpy ugravibhraṃśaṃ saṃśayo jīvitasya vā ||
pralabdhasya hi śatror vai śeṣaṃ kurvanti sādhavaḥ ||
svargadvāropamaṃ rājyam atha vāpy amṛtopamam ||
ruddham ekāyane matvā patolmuka ivāriṣu ||
jahi śatrūn raṇe rājan svadharmam anupālaya ||
mā tvā paśyet sukṛpaṇaṃ śatruḥ śrīmān kadā cana ||
‘As soon as a hero wins great renown in honest battle, his enemies tremble and bow before him. Faint-hearted men, against their will, shower with every desired blessing the skilled and brave one who has given himself wholly to battle. A kingdom, even at the risk of grievous downfall, or a hazard to one’s very life — thus do the noble finish their work with an enemy already outwitted. Regarding the kingdom as like the gates of heaven, or as like immortality itself, yet barred on its one approach, fall upon your enemies like a blazing firebrand. Strike down your enemies in battle, O king, and uphold your own dharma; may a prosperous enemy never see you utterly wretched.’
3abaa312ad08 · 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.