Mahabharata 2.57: sapta pañcāśo'dhyāyaḥ

2.57.1

duryodhana uvāca |
pareṣāmeva yaśasā ślāghase tvaṃ sadā channaḥ kutsayandhārtarāṣṭrān |
jānīmastvāṃ vidura yatpriyastvaṃ bālānivāsmānavamanyase tvam || 1 ||

Duryodhana said,--'O Kshatta, thou art always boasting of the fame of our enemies, deprecating the sons of Dhritarashtra. We know, O Vidura, of whom thou art really fond. Thou always disregardest us as children, That man standeth confest, who wisheth for success unto those that are near to him and defeat unto those that are not his favourites. His praise and blame are applied accordingly. Thy tongue and mind betray thy heart. But the hostility thou showeth in speech is even greater than what is in thy heart. Thou hast been cherished by us like a serpent on our lap. Like a cat thou wishest evil unto him that cherisheth thee. The wise have said that there is no sin graver than that of injuring one's master. How is it, O Kshatta, that thou dost not fear this sin? Having vanquished our enemies we have obtained great advantages. Use not harsh words in respect of us. Thou art always willing to make peace with the foes. And it is for this reason that thou hatest us always. A man becometh a foe by speaking words that are unpardonable. Then again in praising the enemy, the secrets of one's own party should not be divulged. (Thou however, transgressest this rule). Therefore, O thou parasite, why dost thou obstruct us so? Thou sayest whatever thou wishest. Insult us not. We know thy mind. Go and learn sitting at the feet of the old. Keen up the reputation that thou hast won. Meddle not with the affairs of other men. Do not imagine that thou art our chief. Tell us not harsh words always, O Vidura. We do not ask thee what is for our good. Cease, irritate not those that have already borne too much at thy hands. There is only one Controller, no second. He controlleth even the child that is in the mother's womb. I am controlled by Him. Like water that always floweth in a downward course, I am acting precisely in the way in which He is directing me. He that breaketh his head against a stone-wall, and he that feedeth a serpent, are guided in those acts of theirs by their own intellect. (Therefore, in this matter I am guided by my own intelligence). He becometh a foe who seeketh to control others by force. When advice, however, is offered in a friendly spirit, the learned bear with it. He again that hath set fire to such a highly inflammable object as camphor, beholdeth not its ashes. If he runneth immediately to extinguish it. One should not give shelter to another who is the friend of his foes, or to another who is ever jealous of his protector or to another who is evil-minded. Therefore, O Vidura, go whither-so-ever thou pleasest. A wife that is unchaste, however well-treated, forsaketh her husband yet.'

2.57.2

suvijñeyaḥ puruṣo'nyatrakāmo nindāpraśaṃse hi tathā yunakti |
jihvā manaste hṛdayaṃ nirvyanakti jyāyo nirāha manasaḥ prātikūlyam || 2 ||

2.57.3

utsaṅgena vyāla ivāhṛto'si mārjāravatpoṣakaṃ copahaṃsi |
bhartṛghnatvānna hi pāpīya āhustasmātkṣattaḥ kiṃ na bibheṣi pāpāt || 3 ||

2.57.4

jitvā śatrūnphalamāptaṃ mahanno māsmānkṣattaḥ paruṣāṇīha vocaḥ |
dviṣadbhistvaṃ saṃprayogābhinandī muhurdveṣaṃ yāsi naḥ saṃpramohāt || 4 ||

2.57.5

amitratāṃ yāti naro'kṣamaṃ bruvannigūhate guhyamamitrasaṃstave |
tadāśritāpatrapā kiṃ na bādhate yadicchasi tvaṃ tadihādya bhāṣase || 5 ||

2.57.6

mā no'vamaṃsthā vidma manastavedaṃ śikṣasva buddhiṃ sthavirāṇāṃ sakāśāt |
yaśo rakṣasva vidura saṃpraṇītaṃ mā vyāpṛtaḥ parakāryeṣu bhūstvam || 6 ||

2.57.7

ahaṃ karteti vidura māvamaṃsthā mā no nityaṃ paruṣāṇīha vocaḥ |
na tvāṃ pṛcchāmi vidura yaddhitaṃ me svasti kṣattarmā titikṣūnkṣiṇu tvam || 7 ||

2.57.8

ekaḥ śāstā na dvitīyo'sti śāstā garbhe śayānaṃ puruṣaṃ śāsti śāstā |
tenānuśiṣṭaḥ pravaṇādivāmbho yathā niyukto'smi tathā vahāmi || 8 ||

2.57.9

bhinatti śirasā śailamahiṃ bhojayate ca yaḥ |
sa eva tasya kurute kāryāṇāmanuśāsanam || 9 ||

2.57.10

yo balādanuśāstīha so'mitraṃ tena vindati |
mitratāmanuvṛttaṃ tu samupekṣeta paṇḍitaḥ || 10 ||

2.57.11

pradīpya yaḥ pradīptāgniṃ prāktvarannābhidhāvati |
bhasmāpi na sa vindeta śiṣṭaṃ kvacana bhārata || 11 ||

2.57.12

na vāsayetpāravargyaṃ dviṣantaṃ viśeṣataḥ kṣattarahitaṃ manuṣyam |
sa yatrecchasi vidura tatra gaccha susāntvitāpi hyasatī strī jahāti || 12 ||

2.57.13

vidura uvāca |
etāvatā ye puruṣaṃ tyajanti teṣāṃ sakhyamantavadbrūhi rājan |
rājñāṃ hi cittāni pariplutāni sāntvaṃ dattvā musalairghātayanti || 13 ||

"Vidura addressing Dhritarashtra, said, 'O monarch, tell us (impartially) like a witness what thou thinkest of the conduct of those who abandon their serving-men thus for giving instruction to them. The hearts of kings are, indeed, very fickle. Granting protection at first, they strike with clubs at last. O prince (Duryodhana), thou regardest thyself as mature in intellect, and, O thou of bad heart, thou regardest me as a child. But consider that he is a child who having first accepted one for a friend, subsequently findeth fault with him. An evil-hearted man can never be brought to the path of rectitude, like an unchaste wife in the house of a well-born person. Assuredly, instruction is not agreeable to this bull of the Bharata race like a husband of sixty years to a damsel that is young. After this, O king, if thou wishest to hear words that are agreeable to thee, in respect of all acts good or bad, ask thou women and idiots and cripples or persons of that description. A sinful man speaking words that are agreeable may be had in this world. But a speaker of words that are disagreeable though sound as regimen, or a hearer of the same, is very rare. He indeed, is a king's true ally who disregarding what is agreeable or disagreeable to his master beareth himself virtuously and uttereth what may be disagreeable but necessary as regimen. O great king, drink thou that which the honest drink and the dishonest shun, even humility, which is like a medicine that is bitter, pungent, burning, unintoxicating, disagreeable, and revolting. And drinking it, O king, regain thou thy sobriety. I always wish Dhritarashtra and his sons affluence and fame. Happen what may unto thee, here I bow to thee (and take my leave). Let the Brahmanas wish me well. O son of Kuru, this is the lesson I carefully inculcate, that the wise should never enrage such as adders as have venom in their very glances!"

2.57.14

abālastvaṃ manyase rājaputra bālo'hamityeva sumandabuddhe |
yaḥ sauhṛde puruṣaṃ sthāpayitvā paścādenaṃ dūṣayate sa bālaḥ || 14 ||

2.57.15

na śreyase nīyate mandabuddhiḥ strī śrotriyasyeva gṛhe praduṣṭā |
dhruvaṃ na rocedbharatarṣabhasya patiḥ kumāryā iva ṣaṣṭivarṣaḥ || 15 ||

2.57.16

anupriyaṃ cedanukāṅkṣase tvaṃ sarveṣu kāryeṣu hitāhiteṣu |
striyaśca rājañjaḍapaṅgukāṃśca pṛccha tvaṃ vai tādṛśāṃścaiva mūḍhān || 16 ||

2.57.17

labhyaḥ khalu prātipīya naro'nupriyavāgiha |
apriyasya tu pathyasya vaktā śrotā ca durlabhaḥ || 17 ||

2.57.18

yastu dharme parāśvasya hitvā bhartuḥ priyāpriye |
apriyāṇyāha pathyāni tena rājā sahāyavān || 18 ||

2.57.19

avyādhijaṃ kaṭukaṃ tīkṣṇamuṣṇaṃ yaśomuṣaṃ paruṣaṃ pūtigandhi |
satāṃ peyaṃ yanna pibantyasanto manyuṃ mahārāja piba praśāmya || 19 ||

2.57.20

vaicitravīryasya yaśo dhanaṃ ca vāñchāmyahaṃ sahaputrasya śaśvat |
yathā tathā vo'stu namaśca vo'stu mamāpi ca svasti diśantu viprāḥ || 20 ||

2.57.21

āśīviṣānnetraviṣānkopayenna tu paṇḍitaḥ |
evaṃ te'haṃ vadāmīdaṃ prayataḥ kurunandana || 21 ||