Vidura Niti

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः ।कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥

trividhaṃ narakasyedaṃ dvāraṃ nāśanamātmanaḥ |kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhastasmādetattrayaṃ tyajet ||

Three gates lead to hell and ruin the self: desire, anger and greed. So give up these three.

MBh 5.33.73Vidura to Dhritarashtra

क्षुद्राक्षेणेव जालेन झषावपिहितावुरू ।कामश्च राजन्क्रोधश्च तौ प्रज्ञानं विलुम्पतः ॥

kṣudrākṣeṇeva jālena jhaṣāvapihitāvurū |kāmaśca rājankrodhaśca tau prajñānaṃ vilumpataḥ ||

As two big fish tear through a fine net, King, desire and anger tear through a person's judgement.

MBh 5.34.67Vidura to Dhritarashtra

आक्रुश्यमानो नाक्रोशेन्मन्युरेव तितिक्षतः ।आक्रोष्टारं निर्दहति सुकृतं चास्य विन्दति ॥

ākruśyamāno nākrośenmanyureva titikṣataḥ |ākroṣṭāraṃ nirdahati sukṛtaṃ cāsya vindati ||

When someone abuses you, do not abuse them back. The hurt of one who bears it burns the abuser, and the abuser's merit passes to the one who endured.

MBh 5.36.5The swan's teaching, as Vidura tells it

अव्याधिजं कटुकं शीर्षरोगिपापानुबन्धं परुषं तीक्ष्णमुष्णम् ।सतां पेयं यन्न पिबन्त्यसन्तोमन्युं महाराज पिब प्रशाम्य ॥

avyādhijaṃ kaṭukaṃ śīrṣarogipāpānubandhaṃ paruṣaṃ tīkṣṇamuṣṇam |satāṃ peyaṃ yanna pibantyasantomanyuṃ mahārāja piba praśāmya ||

It is bitter. It gives a headache with no illness behind it. It brings wrong in its wake, harsh, sharp and hot. The good drink it down and the bad cannot. Drink down your anger, great King, and be at peace.

MBh 5.36.68Vidura to Dhritarashtra

सन्नियच्छति यो वेगमुत्थितं क्रोधहर्षयोः ।स श्रियो भाजनं राजन्यश्चापत्सु न मुह्यति ॥

sanniyacchati yo vegamutthitaṃ krodhaharṣayoḥ |sa śriyo bhājanaṃ rājanyaścāpatsu na muhyati ||

One who reins in the surge of anger or elation as it rises, and keeps a clear head in trouble, is the one good fortune comes to, King.

MBh 5.37.51Vidura to Dhritarashtra

अकीर्तिं विनयो हन्ति हन्त्यनर्थं पराक्रमः ।हन्ति नित्यं क्षमा क्रोधमाचारो हन्त्यलक्षणम् ॥

akīrtiṃ vinayo hanti hantyanarthaṃ parākramaḥ |hanti nityaṃ kṣamā krodhamācāro hantyalakṣaṇam ||

Humility undoes disgrace. Effort undoes misfortune. Forbearance always undoes anger. Good conduct undoes bad omens.

MBh 5.39.43Vidura to Dhritarashtra

अक्रोधेन जयेत्क्रोधमसाधुं साधुना जयेत् ।जयेत्कदर्यं दानेन जयेत्सत्येन चानृतम् ॥

akrodhena jayetkrodhamasādhuṃ sādhunā jayet |jayetkadaryaṃ dānena jayetsatyena cānṛtam ||

Win over anger with calm, the wicked with goodness, the miser with giving, and the liar with truth.

MBh 5.39.73Vidura to Dhritarashtra

सुलभाः पुरुषा राजन्सततं प्रियवादिनः ।अप्रियस्य तु पथ्यस्य वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभः ॥

sulabhāḥ puruṣā rājansatataṃ priyavādinaḥ |apriyasya tu pathyasya vaktā śrotā ca durlabhaḥ ||

People who always say pleasant things are easy to find, King. Rare is the one who says what is unwelcome but good for you, and rare the one who listens.

MBh 5.37.15Vidura to Dhritarashtra

रोहते सायकैर्विद्धं वनं परशुना हतम् ।वाचा दुरुक्तं बीभत्सं न संरोहति वाक्क्षतम् ॥

rohate sāyakairviddhaṃ vanaṃ paraśunā hatam |vācā duruktaṃ bībhatsaṃ na saṃrohati vākkṣatam ||

Flesh pierced by arrows heals, and a forest cut down by the axe grows back. A wound from cruel words does not heal.

MBh 5.34.79Vidura to Dhritarashtra

अव्याहृतं व्याहृताच्छ्रेय आहुःसत्यं वदेद्व्याहृतं तद्द्वितीयम् ।प्रियं वदेद्व्याहृतं तत्तृतीयंधर्म्यं वदेद्व्याहृतं तच्चतुर्थम् ॥

avyāhṛtaṃ vyāhṛtācchreya āhuḥsatyaṃ vadedvyāhṛtaṃ taddvitīyam |priyaṃ vadedvyāhṛtaṃ tattṛtīyaṃdharmyaṃ vadedvyāhṛtaṃ taccaturtham ||

Silence is better than speech, they say. If you speak, speak the truth: that is the second step. Say it kindly: the third. Say what is right: the fourth.

MBh 5.36.12The swan's teaching, as Vidura tells it

आत्मनात्मानमन्विच्छेन्मनोबुद्धीन्द्रियैर्यतैः ।आत्मा ह्येवात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥

ātmanātmānamanvicchenmanobuddhīndriyairyataiḥ |ātmā hyevātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ ||

Seek the self through the self, with mind, intellect and senses held steady. The self alone is the self's friend, and the self alone its enemy.

MBh 5.34.65Vidura to Dhritarashtra

षड्दोषाः पुरुषेणेह हातव्या भूतिमिच्छता ।निद्रा तन्द्री भयं क्रोध आलस्यं दीर्घसूत्रता ॥

ṣaḍdoṣāḥ puruṣeṇeha hātavyā bhūtimicchatā |nidrā tandrī bhayaṃ krodha ālasyaṃ dīrghasūtratā ||

Anyone who wants to do well in life should drop six faults: too much sleep, drowsiness, fear, anger, idleness and putting things off.

MBh 5.33.85Vidura to Dhritarashtra

यादृशैः सन्निविशते यादृशांश्चोपसेवते ।यादृगिच्छेच्च भवितुं तादृग्भवति पूरुषः ॥

yādṛśaiḥ sanniviśate yādṛśāṃścopasevate |yādṛgicchecca bhavituṃ tādṛgbhavati pūruṣaḥ ||

A person becomes like the people they sit with, like the people they serve, and like what they wish to become.

MBh 5.36.13The swan's teaching, as Vidura tells it

कामक्रोधग्राहवतीं पञ्चेन्द्रियजलां नदीम् ।नावं धृतिमयीं कृत्वा जन्मदुर्गाणि संतर ॥

kāmakrodhagrāhavatīṃ pañcendriyajalāṃ nadīm |nāvaṃ dhṛtimayīṃ kṛtvā janmadurgāṇi saṃtara ||

There is a river whose water is the five senses and whose crocodiles are desire and anger. Make a boat of steadiness and cross the hard passages of birth.

MBh 5.40.22Vidura to Dhritarashtra

इदं च त्वां सर्वपरं ब्रवीमिपुण्यं पदं तात महाविशिष्टम् ।न जातु कामान्न भयान्न लोभा-द्धर्मं जह्याज्जीवितस्यापि हेतोः ॥

idaṃ ca tvāṃ sarvaparaṃ bravīmipuṇyaṃ padaṃ tāta mahāviśiṣṭam |na jātu kāmānna bhayānna lobhā-ddharmaṃ jahyājjīvitasyāpi hetoḥ ||

And above all I tell you this, dear one, a holy step and the highest: never give up dharma for desire, for fear or for greed, not even to save your life.

MBh 5.40.12Vidura to Dhritarashtra

नित्यो धर्मः सुखदुःखे त्वनित्येजीवो नित्यो धातुरस्य त्वनित्यः ।त्यक्त्वाऽनित्यं प्रतितिष्ठस्व नित्येसंतुष्य सन्तोषपरा हि सन्तः ॥

nityo dharmaḥ sukhaduḥkhe tvanityejīvo nityo dhāturasya tvanityaḥ |tyaktvā'nityaṃ pratitiṣṭhasva nityesaṃtuṣya santoṣaparā hi santaḥ ||

Dharma lasts. Pleasure and pain pass. The living self lasts; its body passes. Let go of what passes and stand on what lasts. Be content: the good hold contentment highest.

MBh 5.40.13Vidura to Dhritarashtra

न सा सभा यत्र न सन्ति वृद्धान ते वृद्धा ये न वदन्ति धर्मम् ।नासौ धर्मो यत्र न सत्यमस्तिन तत्सत्यं यच्छलेनानुविद्धम् ॥

na sā sabhā yatra na santi vṛddhāna te vṛddhā ye na vadanti dharmam |nāsau dharmo yatra na satyamastina tatsatyaṃ yacchalenānuviddham ||

A hall without elders is no assembly. Elders who do not speak up for dharma are no elders. Dharma without truth is no dharma. Truth laced with deceit is no truth.

MBh 5.35.70Vidura to Dhritarashtra

न तत्परस्य सन्दध्यात्प्रतिकूलं यदात्मनः ।सङ्ग्रहेणैव धर्मः स्यात्कामादन्यः प्रवर्तते ॥

na tatparasya sandadhyātpratikūlaṃ yadātmanaḥ |saṅgraheṇaiva dharmaḥ syātkāmādanyaḥ pravartate ||

Do not do to another what you would not want done to you. That, in short, is dharma. Anything else comes from desire.

MBh 5.39.72Vidura to Dhritarashtra

सोऽस्य दोषो न मन्तव्यः क्षमा हि परमं बलम् ।क्षमा गुणो ह्यशक्तानां शक्तानां भूषणं क्षमा ॥

so'sya doṣo na mantavyaḥ kṣamā hi paramaṃ balam |kṣamā guṇo hyaśaktānāṃ śaktānāṃ bhūṣaṇaṃ kṣamā ||

Do not count that as a fault, for forbearance is the greatest strength. In the weak, forbearance is a virtue. In the strong, it is an ornament.

MBh 5.33.56Vidura to Dhritarashtra

प्रदायैषामुचितं तात राज्यंसुखी पुत्रैः सहितो मोदमानः ।न देवानां नापि च मानुषाणांभविष्यसि त्वं गर्हणीयो नरेन्द्र ॥

pradāyaiṣāmucitaṃ tāta rājyaṃsukhī putraiḥ sahito modamānaḥ |na devānāṃ nāpi ca mānuṣāṇāṃbhaviṣyasi tvaṃ garhaṇīyo narendra ||

Give them their rightful kingdom, dear one, and live happily among your sons. Then neither gods nor people will find fault with you, King.

MBh 5.33.130Vidura to Dhritarashtra

उक्तं मया जातमात्रेऽपि राजन्दुर्योधनं त्यज पुत्रं त्वमेकम् ।तस्य त्यागात्पुत्रशतस्य वृद्धि-रस्यात्यागात्पुत्रशतस्य नाशः ॥

uktaṃ mayā jātamātre'pi rājanduryodhanaṃ tyaja putraṃ tvamekam |tasya tyāgātputraśatasya vṛddhi-rasyātyāgātputraśatasya nāśaḥ ||

I told you the day he was born, King: give up this one son, Duryodhana. Give him up and your hundred sons will thrive. Keep him and the hundred will perish.

MBh 5.39.5Vidura to Dhritarashtra

सर्वं त्वमायतीयुक्तं भाषसे प्राज्ञसंमतम् ।न चोत्सहे सुतं त्यक्तुं यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः ॥

sarvaṃ tvamāyatīyuktaṃ bhāṣase prājñasaṃmatam |na cotsahe sutaṃ tyaktuṃ yato dharmastato jayaḥ ||

Everything you say looks ahead, and the wise would agree with it. Still, I cannot bring myself to give up my son. Where dharma is, there is victory.

MBh 5.39.9Dhritarashtra to Vidura