Mahabharata 11.4.17 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 4, Shloka 17
Saṃsāra-gahana-jñāna: Vidura’s Account of Embodiment, Bondage, and Dharmic Release (संसारगहन-ज्ञानम्)
विशेषं न प्रपश्यन्ति तत्र तेषां परे जना: । येन प्रत्यवगच्छेयु: कुलरूपविशेषणम्
viśeṣaṃ na prapaśyanti tatra teṣāṃ pare janāḥ | yena pratyavagaccheyuḥ kularūpaviśeṣaṇam |
لا يرى الغرباء هناك بينهم علامةً فارقةً يُعرَف بها نسبُ أسرةٍ بعينها أو هيئةُ شخصٍ متميّزة. وتؤكد الآية أن ما بعد الكارثة يطمس الشارات الاجتماعية والفوارق الموروثة؛ فهي تحذّر من الكِبر بالمنزلة، وتدعو إلى التمييز على أساس السلوك لا على مجرد المظهر أو المولد.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
External observers cannot reliably identify a person’s lineage or distinctive status by outward marks alone, especially amid upheaval; therefore one should not cling to pride of birth or appearance, and should ground judgment in character and conduct (ācāra) rather than superficial identifiers.
In Strī Parva’s lament-filled aftermath of the Kurukṣetra catastrophe, Vidura speaks in a reflective, admonitory tone, pointing out how devastation and disorder erase recognizable social distinctions, intensifying the sense of loss and challenging assumptions about status and identity.
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