Mahabharata · Book 5 · Udyoga Parva
Mahabharata, Book 5, Section XLI: Sanat-sujata Parvaउद्योगपर्व
Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 5.41.
Sanskrit
अनुक्तं यदि ते किञ्चिद्वाचा विदुर विद्यते।
तन्मे शुश्रूषतो ब्रूहि विचित्राणि हि भाषसे ।।
विदुर उवाच।
धृतराष्ट्र कुमारो वै यः पुराणः सनातनः।
तनत्सुजातः प्रोवाच मृत्युर्नास्तीति भारत ।।
स ते गुह्यान्प्रकाशांश्च सर्वान्हृदयसंश्रयान्।
प्रवक्ष्यति महाराज सर्वबुद्धिमतां वरः ।।
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच।
किं त्वं न वेद तद्भूयो यन्मे ब्रूयात्सनातनः।
त्वमेव विदुर ब्रूहि प्रज्ञाशेषोऽस्ति चेत्तव ।।
विदुर उवाच।
शूद्रयोनावहं जातो नातोऽन्यद्वक्तुमुत्सहे।
कुमारस्य तु याबुद्धिर्वेद तां शाश्वतीमहम् ।।
ब्राह्मीं हि योनिमापन्नः सगुह्यमपि यो वदेत्।
न तेन गर्ह्यो देवानां तस्मादेतद्ब्रवीमि ते ।।
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच।
ब्रवीहि विदुर त्वं मे पुराणं तं सनातनम् ।
कथमेतेन देहेन स्यादिहैव समागमः ।।
वैशंपायन उवाच।
चिन्तयामास विदुरस्तभृषिं शंसितव्रतम्।
स च तच्चिन्तितं ज्ञात्वा दर्शयामास भारत ।।
स चैनं प्रतिजग्राह विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा ।
सुखोपविष्टं विश्रान्तमथैनं विदुरोऽब्रवीत्।।
भगवन्संशयः कश्चिद्धृतराष्ट्रस्य मानसः ।
यो न शक्यो मया वक्तुं त्वमस्मै वक्तुमर्हसि ।।
यं श्रत्वाऽयं मनुष्येन्द्रः सर्वदुःखातिगो भवेत्।।
लाभालाभौ प्रियद्वेष्यौ यथैनं न जरान्तकौ।
विषहेरन्भयामर्षौ श्रुत्पिपासे मदोद्भवौ ।
अरतिश्चैव तन्द्री च कामक्रोधौ क्षयोदयौ ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि
सनत्सुजातपर्वणि एकचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ।।
English Ganguli
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘If there is anything still left unsaid by thee, O Vidura, say it then, as I am ready to listen to thee. The discourse is, indeed, charming.’
“Vidura said, ‘O Dhritarashtra, O thou of the Bharata race, that ancient and immortal Rishi Sanat-sujata who, leading a life of perpetual celibacy, hath said that there is no Death,—that foremost of all intelligent persons,—will expound to thee all the doubts, in thy mind, both expressed and unexpressed.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Dost thou not know what that immortal Rishi will say unto me? O Vidura, do thou say it, if indeed, thou hast that degree of wisdom.’
“Vidura said, ‘I am born in the Sudra order and, therefore, do not venture to say more than what I have already said. The understanding, however, of that Rishi leading a life of celibacy, is regarded by me to be infinite. He that is a Brahmana by birth, by discoursing on even the profoundest mysteries, never incurreth the censure of the gods. It is for this alone that I do not discourse to thee, upon the subject.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Tell me, O Vidura, how with this body of mine I can meet with that ancient and immortal one?’"
Vaisampayana said, “Then Vidura began to think of that Rishi of rigid vows. And knowing that he was thought of, the Rishi, O Bharata, showed himself there. Vidura then received him with the rites prescribed by ordinance. And when, having rested a while, the Rishi was seated at his ease, Vidura addressed him, saying, ‘O illustrious one, there is a doubt in Dhritarashtra’s mind which is incapable of being explained away by me. It behooveth thee, therefore, to expound it, so that listening to thy discourse, this chief of men may tide over all this sorrows, and to that gain and loss, what is agreeable and what disagreeable, decrepitude and death, fright and jealously, hunger and thirst, pride and prosperity, dislike, sleep, lust and wrath, and decrease and increase may all be borne by him!’"