Vidura Leaves His Body

Verse 1 (15.28.1)

युधिष्ठिर महाबाहो कच्चित्वं कुशली ह्यसि । सहितो भ्रातृभिः सर्वैः पौरजानपदैस्तथा ॥

yudhiṣṭhira mahābāho kaccitvaṃ kuśalī hyasi | sahito bhrātṛbhiḥ sarvaiḥ paurajānapadaistathā

"Yudhishthira, mighty-armed, are you well, you with all your brothers, and the townsfolk and country people?

Verse 2 (15.28.2)

ये च त्वामनुजीवन्ति कच्चित्तेऽपि निरामयाः । सचिवा भृत्यवर्गाश्च गुरवश्चैव ते नृप ॥

ye ca tvāmanujīvanti kaccitte'pi nirāmayāḥ | sacivā bhṛtyavargāśca guravaścaiva te nṛpa

And those who live by your support, are they too free from sickness: your ministers, the body of your servants, and your elders, O king?

Verse 3 (15.28.3)

कच्चित्तेऽपि निरातङ्का वसन्ति विषये तव । कच्चिद्वर्तसि पौराणीं वृत्तिं राजर्षिसेविताम् ॥

kaccitte'pi nirātaṅkā vasanti viṣaye tava | kaccidvartasi paurāṇīṃ vṛttiṃ rājarṣisevitām

Do they too live free from fear in your realm? Do you follow the ancient way of life, practised by royal sages?

Note on the text: Not in the main text of the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). The first line is the star passage 15.33.2d*0052_01 of the critical edition; the second line is critical edition 15.33.3a.

Verse 4 (15.28.4)

कच्चिन्न्यायाननुच्छिद्य कोशस्तेऽभिप्रपूर्यते । अरिमध्यस्थमित्रेषु वर्तसे चानुरूपतः । ब्राह्मणानग्रहारैर्वा यथावदनुपश्यसि ॥

kaccinnyāyānanucchidya kośaste'bhiprapūryate | arimadhyasthamitreṣu vartase cānurūpataḥ | brāhmaṇānagrahārairvā yathāvadanupaśyasi

Do you fill your treasury without cutting off what is rightful? Do you deal fittingly with enemies, neutrals and friends? And do you duly look after the brahmins through grants of land?

Note on the text: Lines correspond to critical edition 15.33.3c, 15.33.4a and 15.33.4c; the first line is a recension variant (न्यायान् for the critical edition's दायान्).

Verse 5 (15.28.5)

कच्चित्ते परितुष्यन्ति शीलेन भरतर्षभ । शत्रवोपि कुतः पौरा भृत्या वा स्वजनोपि वा ॥

kaccitte parituṣyanti śīlena bharatarṣabha | śatravopi kutaḥ paurā bhṛtyā vā svajanopi vā

Are they satisfied with your conduct, O best of the Bharatas — even your enemies, and how much more the townsfolk, your servants and your own kin?

Note on the text: Corrected शीलेनि → शीलेन (misprint in Wikisource; stray ि; the instrumental शीलेन "by your conduct" is meant, and the critical edition reads śīlena).

Verse 6 (15.28.6)

कच्चिद्यजसि राजेन्द्र श्रद्धावान्पितृदेवताः । अतिथीनन्नपानेन कच्चिदर्चसि भारत ॥

kaccidyajasi rājendra śraddhāvānpitṛdevatāḥ | atithīnannapānena kaccidarcasi bhārata

Do you, with faith, make offerings to the ancestors and the gods, O king of kings? And do you honour guests with food and drink, O Bharata?

Note on the text: Corrected यजसकि → यजसि (misprint in Wikisource; stray कि; the verb is यजसि "you sacrifice", and the critical edition reads yajasi). Corrected अतिथीनन्नपानेनि → अतिथीनन्नपानेन (misprint in Wikisource; stray ि; the instrumental अन्नपानेन "with food and drink" is meant, and the critical edition reads annapānena).

Verse 7 (15.28.7)

कच्चिन्नयपथे विप्राः स्वकर्मनिरतास्तव । क्षत्रिया वैश्यवर्णा वा शूद्रा वाऽपि कुटुम्बिनः ॥

kaccinnayapathe viprāḥ svakarmaniratāstava | kṣatriyā vaiśyavarṇā vā śūdrā vā'pi kuṭumbinaḥ

Are the brahmins in your realm on the path of good policy, intent on their own duties? And the kshatriyas, the vaishya class, and the shudras who keep households?

Verse 8 (15.28.8)

कच्चित्स्त्रीबालवृद्धं ते न शोचति न याचते । जामयः पूजिताः कच्चित्तव गेहे नरर्षभ ॥

kaccitstrībālavṛddhaṃ te na śocati na yācate | jāmayaḥ pūjitāḥ kaccittava gehe nararṣabha

Do your women, children and aged neither grieve nor beg? Are the women of the household honoured in your house, O bull among men?

Verse 9 (15.28.9)

कच्चिद्राजर्षिवंशोऽयं त्वामासाद्य महीपतिम् । यथोचितं महाराज यशसा नावसीदति ॥

kaccidrājarṣivaṃśo'yaṃ tvāmāsādya mahīpatim | yathocitaṃ mahārāja yaśasā nāvasīdati

Does this line of royal sages, now that it has come to you as its lord of the earth, not sink from its due renown, O great king?"

Verse 10 (15.28.10)

इत्येवंवादिनं तं स न्यायवित्प्रत्यभाषत । कुशलप्रश्नसंयुक्तं कुशलो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥

ityevaṃvādinaṃ taṃ sa nyāyavitpratyabhāṣata | kuśalapraśnasaṃyuktaṃ kuśalo vākyamabravīt

When Dhritarashtra had spoken thus, Yudhishthira, who knew what is right and was himself skilled, answered him with words full of questions about his welfare.

Note on the text: Corrected इत्येवादिनं → इत्येवंवादिनं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara and वा; the compound is एवंवादिन् "speaking thus", and the critical edition reads evaṃvādinaṃ). Speaker heading corrected: Wikisource prints वैशण्पायन उवाच (misprint of वैशम्पायन). Second line is a recension variant: the critical edition (15.33.10) reads कुशलो वाक्यकर्मणि.

Verse 11 (15.28.11)

अपि ते वर्धते राजंस्तपो मन्दः श्रमश्च ते ॥

api te vardhate rājaṃstapo mandaḥ śramaśca te

"O king, does your austerity grow, and is your toil light?

Note on the text: Corrected राजंस्पपो → राजंस्तपो (misprint in Wikisource; प for त; the word is तपः "austerity", and the critical edition reads rājaṃs tapo). Wikisource divides critical edition 15.33.11 (three lines) into this verse (its first line) and the next (its second and third lines); the first line is a variant of the critical edition's (…तपो मन्दश्रमस्य ते).

Verse 12 (15.28.12)

अपि मे जननी चेयं शुश्रूषुर्विगतक्लमा । अथास्याः सफलो राजन्वनवासो भविष्यति ॥

api me jananī ceyaṃ śuśrūṣurvigataklamā | athāsyāḥ saphalo rājanvanavāso bhaviṣyati

And is this mother of mine, so eager to serve you, free of fatigue? Will her life in the forest then bear fruit, O king?

Note on the text: Lines correspond to the second and third lines of critical edition 15.33.11 (the third with अथास्याः for the critical edition's अप्यस्याः).

Verse 13 (15.28.13)

इयं च माता ज्येष्ठा मे शीतवाताध्वकर्शिता । घोरेण तपसा युक्ता देवी कच्चिन्न शोचति ॥

iyaṃ ca mātā jyeṣṭhā me śītavātādhvakarśitā | ghoreṇa tapasā yuktā devī kaccinna śocati

And this eldest mother of mine, the queen, worn by cold, wind and the road, engaged in severe austerity — does she not grieve?

Verse 14 (15.28.14)

हतान्पुत्रान्महावीर्यान्क्षत्रधर्मपरायणान् । नापध्यायति वा कच्चिदस्मान्पापकृतः सदा ॥

hatānputrānmahāvīryānkṣatradharmaparāyaṇān | nāpadhyāyati vā kaccidasmānpāpakṛtaḥ sadā

Does she not, for her sons who were slain, those mighty heroes devoted to the kshatriya duty, always hold ill will toward us, who did the wrong?

Verse 15 (15.28.15)

क्व चासौ विदुरो राजन्नेमं पश्यामहे वयम् । संजयः कुशली चायं कच्चिन्नु तपसि स्थिरः ॥

kva cāsau viduro rājannemaṃ paśyāmahe vayam | saṃjayaḥ kuśalī cāyaṃ kaccinnu tapasi sthiraḥ

And where is Vidura, O king? We do not see him. Is this Sanjaya well, and steady in austerity?"

Verse 16 (15.28.16)

इत्युक्तः प्रत्युवाचैनं धृतराष्ट्रो जनाधिपम् । कुशली विदुरः पुत्र तपो घोरं समाश्रितः ॥

ityuktaḥ pratyuvācainaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭro janādhipam | kuśalī viduraḥ putra tapo ghoraṃ samāśritaḥ

Thus addressed, Dhritarashtra replied to the ruler: "Vidura is well, my son; he has taken to fierce austerity.

Verse 17 (15.28.17)

वायुभक्षो निराहारः कृशो धमनिसंततः । कदाचिद्दृश्यते विप्रैः शून्येऽस्मिन्कानने क्वचित् ॥

vāyubhakṣo nirāhāraḥ kṛśo dhamanisaṃtataḥ | kadāciddṛśyate vipraiḥ śūnye'sminkānane kvacit

Living on air, without food, wasted, with the veins standing out on him, he is sometimes seen by brahmins in some spot of this empty forest."

Note on the text: Corrected कजाचिद् → कदाचिद् (misprint in Wikisource; ज for द; the word is कदाचित् "sometimes", and the critical edition reads kadā cid). Speaker set to Dhritarashtra (input carried over Vaishampayana): the whole verse is Dhritarashtra's answer begun in the previous verse.

Verse 18 (15.28.18)

इत्येवं ब्रुवतस्तस्य जटी वीटामुखः कृशः । दिग्वासा मलदिग्धाङ्गो वनरेणुसमुक्षितः ॥

ityevaṃ bruvatastasya jaṭī vīṭāmukhaḥ kṛśaḥ | digvāsā maladigdhāṅgo vanareṇusamukṣitaḥ

While he was still speaking, there appeared Vidura, matted-haired, a pebble in his mouth, emaciated, naked, his limbs smeared with filth, covered with forest dust.

Verse 19 (15.28.19)

दूरादालक्षितः क्षत्ता तत्राख्यातो महीपतेः । विदुरस्त्वेष धर्मात्मा जनं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते ॥

dūrādālakṣitaḥ kṣattā tatrākhyāto mahīpateḥ | vidurastveṣa dharmātmā janaṃ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

Kshatta was seen from afar and pointed out there to the king: "That is Vidura, the righteous one; he turns back at the sight of the people."

Note on the text: Wikisource prints the second line in backticks and quotation marks as an insertion, with a stray क fused to its first word (कविदुरस्त्वेष → विदुरस्त्वेष, a misprint; the line is the star passage 15.33.18b*0055_01 of the critical edition, viduras tv eṣa dharmātmā janaṃ dṛṣṭvā nivartate); the wiki marks are removed. The first line is critical edition 15.33.18a; the second is not in the critical edition's main text (found in the vulgate recension, star passage).

Verse 20 (15.28.20)

निवर्तमानं सहसा जनं दृष्ट्वाऽऽश्रमं प्रति । तमन्वधावन्नृपतिरेक एव युधिष्ठिरः । प्रविशन्तं वनं घोरं लक्ष्यालक्ष्यं क्वचित्क्वचित् ॥

nivartamānaṃ sahasā janaṃ dṛṣṭvā''śramaṃ prati | tamanvadhāvannṛpatireka eva yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | praviśantaṃ vanaṃ ghoraṃ lakṣyālakṣyaṃ kvacitkvacit

Seeing him turn back abruptly at the sight of the people coming toward the hermitage, King Yudhishthira alone ran after him as he entered the dreadful forest, now in view, now lost to sight.

Note on the text: Lines correspond to critical edition 15.33.18c, 15.33.19a and 15.33.19c (the first in a variant form, निवर्तमानं सहसा for निवर्तमानः सहसा).

Verse 21 (15.28.21)

भोभो विदुर राजाऽहं दयितस्ते युधिष्ठिरः । इति ब्रुवन्नरपतिस्तं यत्नादभ्यधावत ॥

bhobho vidura rājā'haṃ dayitaste yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | iti bruvannarapatistaṃ yatnādabhyadhāvata

"Ho, Vidura! I am your beloved king, Yudhishthira!" Calling out thus, the king pressed hard after him.

Verse 22 (15.28.22)

ततो विविक्त एकान्ते तस्थौ बुद्धिमतां वरः । विदुरो वृक्षमाश्रित्य कञ्चित्तत्र वनान्तरे ॥

tato vivikta ekānte tasthau buddhimatāṃ varaḥ | viduro vṛkṣamāśritya kañcittatra vanāntare

Then, in a lonely, secluded spot in the forest, Vidura, best of the wise, stood leaning against a tree.

Verse 23 (15.28.23)

तं राजा क्षीणभूयिष्ठमाकृतीमात्रसूचितम् । अभिजज्ञे महाबुद्धिं महाबुद्धिर्युधिष्ठिरः ॥

taṃ rājā kṣīṇabhūyiṣṭhamākṛtīmātrasūcitam | abhijajñe mahābuddhiṃ mahābuddhiryudhiṣṭhiraḥ

The king, the great-minded Yudhishthira, recognised that great-minded one, much wasted, known only by his outline.

Verse 24 (15.28.24)

युधिष्ठिरोऽहमस्मीति वाक्यमुक्त्वाऽग्रतः स्थितः । विदुरस्याश्रवे राजा स च प्रत्याह संज्ञया ॥

yudhiṣṭhiro'hamasmīti vākyamuktvā'grataḥ sthitaḥ | vidurasyāśrave rājā sa ca pratyāha saṃjñayā

Saying, "I am Yudhishthira," the king stood before him, within Vidura's hearing, and Vidura answered him by a sign.

Note on the text: Corrected विदुरस्याश्रमे → विदुरस्याश्रवे (misprint in Wikisource; म for व; आश्रवे "within hearing" is meant, and the critical edition reads vidurasyāśrave; with आश्रमे ("in Vidura's hermitage") the sentence has no sense, as Vidura stands by a tree in the forest).

Verse 25 (15.28.25)

ततः सोऽनिमिषो भूत्वा राजानं तमुदैक्षत । संयोज्य विदुरस्तस्मिन्दृष्टिं दृष्ट्या समाहितः ॥

tataḥ so'nimiṣo bhūtvā rājānaṃ tamudaikṣata | saṃyojya vidurastasmindṛṣṭiṃ dṛṣṭyā samāhitaḥ

Then Vidura, becoming unblinking, gazed at the king, fixing his gaze on him, his own mind gathered.

Verse 26 (15.28.26)

विवेश विदुरो धीमान्गात्रैर्गात्राणि चैव ह । प्राणान्प्राणेषु च दधदिन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियेषु च ॥

viveśa viduro dhīmāngātrairgātrāṇi caiva ha | prāṇānprāṇeṣu ca dadhadindriyāṇīndriyeṣu ca

The wise Vidura entered into him, limbs into limbs, setting his breaths in his breaths and his senses in his senses.

Verse 27 (15.28.27)

स योगबलमास्थाय विवेश नृपतेस्तनुम् । विदुरो धर्मराजस्य तेजसा प्रज्वलन्निव ॥

sa yogabalamāsthāya viveśa nṛpatestanum | viduro dharmarājasya tejasā prajvalanniva

Resting on the power of yoga, Vidura entered the body of the king, Dharma's son, blazing as it were with radiance.

Verse 28 (15.28.28)

विदुरस्य शरीरं तु तथैव स्तब्धलोचनम् । वृक्षाश्रितं तदा राजा ददर्श गतचेतनम् ॥

vidurasya śarīraṃ tu tathaiva stabdhalocanam | vṛkṣāśritaṃ tadā rājā dadarśa gatacetanam

But the king saw Vidura's own body, its eyes fixed and stiff, still leaning against the tree, bereft of consciousness.

Verse 29 (15.28.29)

बलवन्तं तथाऽऽत्मानं मेने बहुगुणं तदा । धर्मराजो महातेजास्तच्च सस्मार पाण्डवः ॥

balavantaṃ tathā''tmānaṃ mene bahuguṇaṃ tadā | dharmarājo mahātejāstacca sasmāra pāṇḍavaḥ

He felt himself stronger then, and of many more virtues; and the Pandava, Dharma's king of great splendour, remembered that —

Verse 30 (15.28.30)

पौराणमात्मनः सर्वं भविष्यं च विशाम्पते । योगधर्मं महातेजा व्यासेन कथितं यथा ॥

paurāṇamātmanaḥ sarvaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ ca viśāmpate | yogadharmaṃ mahātejā vyāsena kathitaṃ yathā

everything of his own from his former life, and what was to come, O lord of men, and the discipline of yoga as Vyasa had taught it.

Note on the text: Corrected कथिनं → कथितं (misprint in Wikisource; न for त; the participle is कथित "told", and the critical edition reads kathitaṃ).

Verse 31 (15.28.31)

धर्मराजश्च तत्रैनं सञ्चस्कारयिषुस्तदा । दग्धुकामोऽभवद्विद्वानथ वागभ्यभाषत ॥

dharmarājaśca tatrainaṃ sañcaskārayiṣustadā | dagdhukāmo'bhavadvidvānatha vāgabhyabhāṣata

Then Dharmaraja, wishing to perform the funeral rites for him, was about to burn the body, when a voice spoke.

Verse 32 (15.28.32)

भोभो राजन्न दग्धव्यमेतद्विदुरसंज्ञकम् । कलेबरमिहैवं ते धर्म एष सनातनः ॥

bhobho rājanna dagdhavyametadvidurasaṃjñakam | kalebaramihaivaṃ te dharma eṣa sanātanaḥ

"Ho, ho, king! This body named Vidura is not to be burned; let it lie here just as it is, for this is the eternal law.

Note on the text: Speaker is the voice that spoke at the end of the previous verse (वाग्भ्यभाषत); the voice's words fill this verse and the next, with no heading printed. The line वागुवाच is the form the epic prints for such a speaker.

Verse 33 (15.28.33)

लोको वैकर्तनो नाम भविष्यत्यस्य भारत । यतिधर्ममवाप्तोसौ नैष शोच्यः परंतप ॥

loko vaikartano nāma bhaviṣyatyasya bhārata | yatidharmamavāptosau naiṣa śocyaḥ paraṃtapa

He will gain a world named Vaikartana, O Bharata; he has attained the ascetic's state, and he is not to be mourned, O scorcher of foes."

Note on the text: Speaker is the voice (see the previous verse). Recension variant: the critical edition (15.33.32) reads लोकाः सन्तानका नाम "the worlds called Santanaka" for Wikisource's लोको वैकर्तनो नाम; the Wikisource commentary notes the झ-manuscript reading लोकास्सान्तानिका.

Verse 34 (15.28.34)

इत्युक्तो धर्मराजः स विनिवृत्य ततः पुनः । राज्ञो वैचित्रवीर्यस्य तत्सर्वं प्रत्यवेदयत् ॥

ityukto dharmarājaḥ sa vinivṛtya tataḥ punaḥ | rājño vaicitravīryasya tatsarvaṃ pratyavedayat

Thus told, Dharmaraja turned back from there and reported all of it to the king, Vichitravirya's son.

Verse 35 (15.28.35)

ततः स राजा धृतिमान्स च सर्वो जनस्तदा । भीमसेनादयश्चैव परं विस्मियमागताः ॥

tataḥ sa rājā dhṛtimānsa ca sarvo janastadā | bhīmasenādayaścaiva paraṃ vismiyamāgatāḥ

Then the steadfast king and all the people, and Bhimasena and the others, were filled with great wonder.

Verse 36 (15.28.36)

तच्छ्रुत्वा प्रीतिमान्राजा भूत्वा धर्मजमब्रवीत् । आपो मूलं फलं चैव ममेदं प्रतिगृह्यताम् ॥

tacchrutvā prītimānrājā bhūtvā dharmajamabravīt | āpo mūlaṃ phalaṃ caiva mamedaṃ pratigṛhyatām

Hearing it, the king was pleased, and said to Dharma's son: "Accept this water, root and fruit of mine.

Verse 37 (15.28.37)

यदन्नो हि नरो राजंस्तदन्नोऽस्यातिथिः स्मृतः । इत्युक्तः स तथेत्येवं प्राह धर्मात्मजो नृपम् ॥

yadanno hi naro rājaṃstadanno'syātithiḥ smṛtaḥ | ityuktaḥ sa tathetyevaṃ prāha dharmātmajo nṛpam

A man's guest, O king, is said to eat whatever food the man himself eats." Thus told, Dharma's son said, "So be it," to the king.

Verse 38 (15.28.38)

फलं मूलं च बुभुजे राज्ञा दत्तं सहानुजः । ततस्ते वृक्षमूलेषु कृतवासपरिग्रहाः । तां रात्रिमवसन्सर्वे फलमूलजलाशनाः ॥

phalaṃ mūlaṃ ca bubhuje rājñā dattaṃ sahānujaḥ | tataste vṛkṣamūleṣu kṛtavāsaparigrahāḥ | tāṃ rātrimavasansarve phalamūlajalāśanāḥ

With his brothers he ate the fruit and roots the king gave him. Then they all made their lodging at the foot of the trees and spent that night living on fruit, roots and water.

Note on the text: Lines correspond to critical edition 15.33.36e, 15.33.37a and 15.33.37c (the last with अवसन् for the critical edition's न्यवसन्).