Vidura Sees Through the Gifts

Verse 1 (5.87.1)

राजन्बहुमतश्चासि त्रैलोक्यस्यापि सत्तमः । संभावितश्च लोकस्य संमतश्चासि भारत ॥

rājanbahumataścāsi trailokyasyāpi sattamaḥ | saṃbhāvitaśca lokasya saṃmataścāsi bhārata

King, you are held in high esteem; you are the best of men even in the three worlds; you are honoured and respected by the world, Bharata.

Verse 2 (5.87.2)

यत्त्वमेवंगते ब्रूयाः पश्चिमे वयसि स्थितः । शास्त्राद्वा सुप्रतर्काद्वा सुस्थिरः स्थविरो ह्यसि ॥

yattvamevaṃgate brūyāḥ paścime vayasi sthitaḥ | śāstrādvā supratarkādvā susthiraḥ sthaviro hyasi

Whatever you say in such a situation, standing as you do in the last part of life, you say from scripture or from sound reasoning, for you are steadfast and old.

Verse 3 (5.87.3)

लेखा शशिनिभाः सूर्ये महोर्मिरिव सागरे । धर्मस्त्वयि तथा राजन्निति व्यवसिताः प्रजाः ॥

lekhā śaśinibhāḥ sūrye mahormiriva sāgare | dharmastvayi tathā rājanniti vyavasitāḥ prajāḥ

As the mark lies in the moon, radiance in the sun and the great waves in the ocean, so does dharma lie in you, O king — of this your subjects are convinced.

Verse 4 (5.87.4)

सदैव भावितो लोको गुणौघैस्तव पार्थिव । गुणानां रक्षणे नित्यं प्रयतस्व सबान्धवः ॥

sadaiva bhāvito loko guṇaughaistava pārthiva | guṇānāṃ rakṣaṇe nityaṃ prayatasva sabāndhavaḥ

The world is ever gladdened by the flood of your virtues, lord of the earth. Strive always, with your kinsmen, to preserve those virtues.

Verse 5 (5.87.5)

आर्जवं प्रतिपद्यस्व मा बाल्याद्बहु नीनशः । राजन्पुत्रांश्च पौत्रांश्च सुहृदश्चैव सुप्रियान् ॥

ārjavaṃ pratipadyasva mā bālyādbahu nīnaśaḥ | rājanputrāṃśca pautrāṃśca suhṛdaścaiva supriyān

Hold to honesty. Do not, out of folly, bring so much to ruin — your sons and grandsons, O king, and your dearest friends.

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रहु → बहु (misprint in Wikisource; intrusive र्; the critical edition has bahudhā, and the page's commentary glosses मा नीनशः). The rest of the verse (नीनशः, राजन्पुत्रांश्च) is kept as a variant of the critical edition's naśīḥ, rājyaṃ putrāṃś ca.

Verse 6 (5.87.6)

यत्त्वं दित्ससि कृष्णाय राजन्नतिथये बहु । एतदन्यच्च दाशार्हः पृथिवीमपि चार्हति ॥

yattvaṃ ditsasi kṛṣṇāya rājannatithaye bahu | etadanyacca dāśārhaḥ pṛthivīmapi cārhati

What you wish to give Krishna as your guest is a great deal, O king; but the Dasharha deserves this and more — he deserves even the whole earth.

Verse 7 (5.87.7)

न तु त्वं धर्ममुद्दिश्य तस्य वा प्रियकारणात् । एतद्दित्ससि कृष्णाय सत्येनात्मानमालभे ॥

na tu tvaṃ dharmamuddiśya tasya vā priyakāraṇāt | etadditsasi kṛṣṇāya satyenātmānamālabhe

But you do not wish to give this to Krishna for the sake of dharma, nor to please him. I swear it by my truth.

Verse 8 (5.87.8)

मायैषा सत्यमेवैतच्छद्मैतद्भूरिदक्षिणा । जानामि त्वन्मतं राजन्गूढं बाह्येन कर्मणा ॥

māyaiṣā satyamevaitacchadmaitadbhūridakṣiṇā | jānāmi tvanmataṃ rājangūḍhaṃ bāhyena karmaṇā

This is a trick, and nothing else; this lavish giving is a deception. I know your intention, O king, hidden behind your outward act.

Verse 9 (5.87.9)

पञ्च पञ्चैव लिप्स्यन्ति ग्रामकान्पाण्डवा नृप । न च दित्ससि तेभ्यस्तांस्तच्छमं न करिष्यसि ॥

pañca pañcaiva lipsyanti grāmakānpāṇḍavā nṛpa | na ca ditsasi tebhyastāṃstacchamaṃ na kariṣyasi

The Pandavas will ask for no more than five villages, O king, and you do not wish to give them even those; so you will not make peace.

Verse 10 (5.87.10)

अर्थेन तु महाबाहुं वार्ष्णेयं त्वं जिहीर्षसि । अनेन चाप्युपायेन पाण्डवेभ्यो विभेत्स्यसि ॥

arthena tu mahābāhuṃ vārṣṇeyaṃ tvaṃ jihīrṣasi | anena cāpyupāyena pāṇḍavebhyo vibhetsyasi

With wealth you seek to win over the mighty-armed Varshneya, and by this means you would split him off from the Pandavas.

Verse 11 (5.87.11)

न च वित्तेन शक्योऽसौ नोद्यमेन न गर्हया । अन्यो धनञ्जयात्कर्तुमेतत्तत्त्वं ब्रवीमि ते ॥

na ca vittena śakyo'sau nodyamena na garhayā | anyo dhanañjayātkartumetattattvaṃ bravīmi te

But neither by wealth nor by effort nor by reproach can he be made to turn from Dhananjaya. I tell you the truth.

Verse 12 (5.87.12)

वेद कृष्णस्य माहात्म्यं वेदास्य दृढभक्तिताम् । अत्याज्यमस्य जानामि प्राणैस्तुल्यं धनञ्जयम् ॥

veda kṛṣṇasya māhātmyaṃ vedāsya dṛḍhabhaktitām | atyājyamasya jānāmi prāṇaistulyaṃ dhanañjayam

I know Krishna's greatness, and I know his firm devotion; I know that Dhananjaya, who is to him as his own life, is someone he will never give up.

Verse 13 (5.87.13)

अन्यत्कुम्भादपांपूर्णादन्यत्पादावसेचनात् । अन्यत्कुशलसंप्रश्नान्नैवेक्ष्यति जनार्दनः ॥

anyatkumbhādapāṃpūrṇādanyatpādāvasecanāt | anyatkuśalasaṃpraśnānnaivekṣyati janārdanaḥ

Beyond a pitcher full of water, beyond water to wash his feet, beyond an inquiry after his welfare, Janardana will accept nothing.

Verse 14 (5.87.14)

यत्त्वस्य प्रियमातिथ्यं मानार्हस्य महात्मनः । तदस्मै क्रियतां राजन्मानार्होऽसौ जनार्दनः ॥

yattvasya priyamātithyaṃ mānārhasya mahātmanaḥ | tadasmai kriyatāṃ rājanmānārho'sau janārdanaḥ

Show him the hospitality that pleases him, great-souled and worthy of honour as he is; let that be done for him, O king, for Janardana deserves honour.

Verse 15 (5.87.15)

आशंसमानः कल्याणं कुरूनभ्येति केशवः । येनैव राजन्नर्थेन तदेवास्मा उपाकुरु ॥

āśaṃsamānaḥ kalyāṇaṃ kurūnabhyeti keśavaḥ | yenaiva rājannarthena tadevāsmā upākuru

Keshava comes to the Kurus wishing them well. Grant him that very thing for which he comes, O king.

Verse 16 (5.87.16)

शममिच्छति दाशार्हस्तव दुर्योधनस्य च । पाण्डवानां च राजेन्द्र तदस्य वचनं कुरु ॥

śamamicchati dāśārhastava duryodhanasya ca | pāṇḍavānāṃ ca rājendra tadasya vacanaṃ kuru

The Dasharha wants peace between you and Duryodhana and the Pandavas, king of kings. Do as he says.

Verse 17 (5.87.17)

पिताऽसि राजन्पुत्रास्ते वृद्धस्त्वं शिशवः परे । वर्तस्व पितृवत्तेषु वर्तन्ते ते हि पुत्रवत् ॥

pitā'si rājanputrāste vṛddhastvaṃ śiśavaḥ pare | vartasva pitṛvatteṣu vartante te hi putravat

You are the father, O king, and they are your sons; you are old and they are children. Treat them as a father would, for they treat you as sons.