05.040
vidura uvāca॥
Vidura spoke:
yo'bhyarthitaḥ sadbhirasajjamānaḥ; karotyarthaṃ śaktimahāpayitvā. kṣipraṃ yaśastaṃ samupaiti santamalaṃ; prasannā hi sukhāya santaḥ ॥5-40-1॥
When a person, requested by virtuous people, acts without attachment and relinquishes power, he quickly gains the fame that is sufficient for the virtuous, as the virtuous are indeed pleased for the sake of happiness.
mahāntamapyarthamadharmayuktaṃ; yaḥ santyajatyanupākṛṣṭa eva। sukhaṃ sa duḥkhānyavamucya śete; jīrṇāṃ tvacaṃ sarpa ivāvamucya ॥5-40-2॥
A person who, without attachment, gives up even great wealth that is unrighteous, finds happiness and is free from sorrows, just as a snake sheds its old skin.
anṛtaṃ ca samutkarṣe rājagāmi ca paiśunam। guroścālikanirbandhaḥ samāni brahmahatyayā ॥5-40-3॥
Falsehood, prosperity, approaching the king, slander, and insistence on falsehood regarding the teacher are considered as grave as the killing of a Brahmin.
asūyaikapadaṃ mṛtyurativādaḥ śriyo vadhaḥ। aśuśrūṣā tvarā ślāghā vidyāyāḥ śatravastrayaḥ ॥5-40-4॥
Envy leads to death in a single word; excessive speech destroys prosperity. Disobedience, haste, and boasting are the three enemies of knowledge.
sukhārthinaḥ kuto vidyā nāsti vidyārthinaḥ sukham। sukhārthī vā tyajedvidyāṃ vidyārthī vā sukhaṃ tyajet ॥5-40-5॥
A person seeking pleasure cannot attain knowledge, and a person seeking knowledge cannot attain pleasure. One must choose to either abandon the pursuit of knowledge for pleasure or abandon pleasure for the pursuit of knowledge.
nāgnistr̥pyati kāṣṭhānāṃ nāpagānāṃ mahodadhiḥ। nāntakaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ na puṃsāṃ vāmalocanā ॥5-40-6॥
Just as fire is never satisfied with fuel, the ocean with rivers, or death with all beings, women with beautiful eyes are never satisfied with men.
āśā dhṛtiṃ hanti samṛddhimantakaḥ; krodhaḥ śriyaṃ hanti yaśaḥ kadaryatā। apālanaṃ hanti paśūṃśca rāj; nnekaḥ kruddho brāhmaṇo hanti rāṣṭram ॥5-40-7॥
Hope destroys patience; anger destroys wealth and fame, while miserliness leads to downfall. Neglect can ruin cattle and a king, and a single angry Brahmin can bring down a kingdom.
ajaśca kāṃsyaṃ ca rathaśca nityaṃ; madhvākārṣaḥ śakuniḥ śrotriyaśca। vṛddho jñātiravasanno vayasy; etāni te santu gṛhe sadaiva ॥5-40-8॥
May you always have in your house a goat, bronze, a chariot, a honey-extractor, a bird, a learned person, an old relative, a depressed friend; these should always be present in your home.
ajokṣā candanaṁ vīṇā ādarśo madhusarpiṣī। viṣamodumbaraṁ śaṅkhaḥ svarṇaṁ nābhiśca rocanā ॥5-40-9॥
The verse lists various items: ajoksha wood, sandalwood, a lute, a mirror, honey and ghee, a poisonous fig tree, a conch, gold, a navel, and brilliance, each symbolizing different qualities or attributes.
gṛhe sthāpayitavyāni dhanyāni manurabravīt। devabrāhmaṇapūjārthamatithīnāṃ ca bhārata ॥5-40-10॥
Manu said, "O Bharata, grains should be stored in the house for worshipping gods and Brahmins, and for the guests."
idaṃ ca tvāṃ sarvaparaṃ bravīmi; puṇyaṃ padaṃ tāta mahāviśiṣṭam। na jātu kāmānna bhayānna lobhā; dharmaṃ tyajejjīvitasyaapi hetoḥ ॥5-40-11॥
I declare to you, dear one, this is the most excellent sacred place. One should never abandon duty out of desire, fear, or greed, even for the sake of life.
nityo dharmaḥ sukhaduḥkhe tvanitye; nityo jīvo dhāturasya tvanityaḥ। tyaktvā'nityaṃ pratitiṣṭhasva nitye; santuṣya tvaṃ toṣaparo hi lābhaḥ ॥5-40-12॥
Duty is eternal, while happiness and sorrow are fleeting. The soul is eternal, but its elements are transient. Abandon the transient and establish yourself in the eternal. By being content, you achieve true gain, as contentment itself is the greatest wealth.
mahābalānpaśya mahānubhāvā; npraśāsya bhūmiṃ dhanadhānyapūrṇām। rājyāni hitvā vipulāṃśca bhogā; ngatānnarendrānvaśamantakasya ॥5-40-13॥
Behold the mighty and noble souls; after ruling the earth abundant in wealth and grains, and forsaking kingdoms and vast pleasures, the kings have succumbed to the power of death.
mṛtaṃ putraṃ duḥkhapuṣṭaṃ manuṣyā; utkṣipya rājansvagṛhānnirharanti। taṃ muktakeśāḥ karuṇaṃ rudanta; ścitāmadhye kāṣṭhamiva kṣipanti ॥5-40-14॥
The grieving people, with disheveled hair and weeping, carry their dead son out of the house and place him on the funeral pyre as if he were a mere log.
anyo dhanaṃ pretagatasya bhuṅkte; vayāṃsi cāgniśca śarīradhātūn। dvābhyāmayaṃ saha gacchatyamutra; puṇyena pāpena ca veṣṭyamānaḥ ॥5-40-15॥
Another person enjoys the wealth left by the deceased; the body is consumed by birds and fire. Accompanied by both virtue and sin, the soul travels to the next world.
utsṛjya vinivartante jñātayaḥ suhṛdaḥ sutāḥ। agnau prāstaṃ tu puruṣaṃ karmānveti svayaṅkṛtam ॥5-40-16॥
Relatives, friends, and sons return after abandoning; however, the deeds performed by oneself follow the man even when offered into the fire.
asmāllokādūrdhvamamuṣya cādho; mahattamastiṣṭhati hyandhakāram। tadvai mahāmohanamindriyāṇāṃ; budhyasva mā tvāṃ pralabheta rājan ॥5-40-17॥
Above this world and below that, there exists the greatest darkness. It is the great delusion of the senses; understand this, O king, and do not let it deceive you.
idaṁ vacaḥ śakṣyasi cedyathāv; nniśamya sarvaṁ pratipattumevam। yaśaḥ paraṁ prāpsyasi jīvaloke; bhayaṁ na cāmutra na ceha te'sti ॥5-40-18॥
If you can comprehend this message correctly after hearing everything, you will achieve great fame in this world; you will have no fear either here or in the afterlife.
ātmā nadī bhārata puṇyatīrthā; satyodakā dhṛtikūlā damormiḥ। tasyāṃ snātaḥ pūyate puṇyakarmā; puṇyo hyātmā nityamambho'mbha eva ॥5-40-19॥
The self is metaphorically described as a river in India, symbolizing a sacred place with truthful waters, banks of patience, and waves of self-control. Bathing in this river signifies purification through virtuous deeds, emphasizing that the self is inherently pure and constant like water.
kāmakrodhagrāhavatīṃ pañcendriyajalāṃ nadīm। kṛtvā dhṛtimayīṃ nāvaṃ janmadurgāṇi santara ॥5-40-20॥
Make a firm boat to cross the river of life, filled with the waters of the five senses and inhabited by the crocodiles of desire and anger.
prajñāvṛddhaṃ dharmavṛddhaṃ svabandhuṃ; vidyāvṛddhaṃ vayasā cāpi vṛddham। kāryākārye pūjayitvā prasādya; yaḥ sampṛcchenna sa muhyetkadācit ॥5-40-21॥
One who honors and pleases a wise, righteous, and learned elder, who is also a relative and elder by age, and then inquires about what is right and wrong, will never be confused.
dhṛtyā śiśnodaraṃ rakṣetpāṇipādaṃ ca cakṣuṣā। cakṣuḥśrotre ca manasā mano vācaṃ ca karmaṇā ॥5-40-22॥
One should protect their genitals and belly with firmness, their hands and feet with their eyes, their eyes and ears with their mind, and their mind and speech with their actions.
nityodakī nityayajñopavītī; nityasvādhyāyī patitānnavarjī। ṛtaṃ bruvangurave karma kurva; nna brāhmaṇaścyavate brahmalokāt ॥5-40-23॥
A Brahmin who regularly performs his duties such as fetching water, wearing the sacred thread, studying, avoiding impure food, speaking truth to his teacher, and fulfilling his responsibilities, remains steadfast in the realm of Brahma.
adhītya vedānparisaṁstīrya cāgnī; niṣṭvā yajñaiḥ pālayitvā prajāśca। gobrāhmaṇārthe śastrapūtāntarātmā; hataḥ saṅgrāme kṣatriyaḥ svargameti ॥5-40-24॥
A Kshatriya, after studying the Vedas, performing sacrifices, protecting his subjects, and fighting for the sake of cows and Brahmins, attains heaven when he is killed in battle, as his soul is purified by the weapons.
vaiśyo'dhītya brāhmaṇānkṣatriyāṃśca; dhanaiḥ kāle saṃvibhajyāśritāṃśca। tretāpūtaṃ dhūmamāghrāya puṇyaṃ; pretya svarge devasukhāni bhuṅkte ॥5-40-25॥
The merchant, after learning from the Brahmins and Kshatriyas and distributing wealth to his dependents, partakes in the purified smoke of the Tretā ritual and enjoys heavenly pleasures after death.
brahmakṣatraṃ vaiśyavarṇaṃ ca śūdraḥ; krameṇaitānnyāyataḥ pūjayānaḥ। tuṣṭeṣveteṣvavyatho dagdhapāpa; styaktvā dehaṃ svargasukhāni bhuṅkte ॥5-40-26॥
By honoring Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras in their respective order, and when they are pleased, one who is free from distress and whose sins are burnt, upon abandoning the body, enjoys the pleasures of heaven.
cāturvarṇyasya eṣa dharmas tava ukto; hetuṃ ca atra bruvataḥ me nibodha। kṣātrād dharmād dhīyate pāṇḍuputra; taṃ tvaṃ rājan rājadharme niyuṅkṣva ॥5-40-27॥
The duties of the four castes have been explained to you. Understand the reason I am speaking here. O son of Pandu, one is deprived of duty from the warrior class; therefore, O king, engage him in the duties of a ruler.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
evametadyathā māṃ tvanuśāsasi nityadā। mamāpi ca matiḥ saumya bhavatyevaṃ yathāttha mām ॥5-40-28॥
O gentle one, just as you always instruct me, my mind too aligns with your words.
sā tu buddhiḥ kṛtāpyevaṃ pāṇḍavānprati me sadā। duryodhanaṃ samāsādya punarviparivartate ॥5-40-29॥
My resolve, though made in favor of the Pandavas, always changes again when I approach Duryodhana.
na diṣṭamabhyatikrāntuṃ śakyaṃ martyena kenacit। diṣṭameva kṛtaṃ manye pauruṣaṃ tu nirarthakam ॥5-40-30॥
It is impossible for any mortal to overcome destiny. I believe that destiny alone is fulfilled, and human effort is futile.
