उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय 33: धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर संवादः (विदुरनीतिः)
शीलं प्रधान पुरुषे तद् यस्येह प्रणश्यति । न तस्य जीवितेनार्थो न धनेन न बन्धुभि:
śīlaṃ pradhānaṃ puruṣe tad yasyeha praṇaśyati | na tasya jīvitenārtho na dhanena na bandhubhiḥ ||
قال فيدورا: أعظمُ كنزٍ في الإنسان حسنُ الخُلُق. فإذا فُقِد هذا الخُلُق في الدنيا، غدت الحياة نفسها بلا جدوى؛ فلا المال ولا الأقارب يحققون له غايةً ذات معنى.
विदुर उवाच
Character (śīla) is the highest asset of a person; without it, life, wealth, and social ties lose their true value and cannot accomplish a worthy purpose.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers nīti (ethical-political counsel) amid rising conflict, warning that inner virtue—not power, money, or alliances—is what makes a life meaningful and fit for dharma.