Shloka 44

Devanagari script

विद्यामदो धनमदस्तृतीयोडभिजनो मद: । मदा एते5वलिप्तानामेत एव सतां दमा:,विद्याका मद, धनका मद और तीसरा ऊँचे कुलका मद है। ये घमंडी पुरुषोंके लिये तो मद हैं, परंतु ये (विद्या, धन और कुलीनता) ही सज्जन पुरुषोंके लिये दमके साधन हैं

Transliteration

vidyā-mado dhana-madas tṛtīyo 'bhijano madaḥ | madā ete 'valiptānām ete eva satāṁ damāḥ ||

Translation

Vidura sprach: „Stolz auf Wissen, Stolz auf Reichtum und drittens Stolz auf edle Geburt — für den Hochmütigen sind dies berauschende Eitelkeiten. Doch dieselben Dinge — Wissen, Reichtum und hohe Abstammung — werden in den Händen des Tugendhaften zu Werkzeugen der Selbstzucht und disziplinierten Lebensführung.“

Word by Word

विद्या-मदःpride of learning

धन-मदःpride of wealth

तृतीयःthe third

अभि-जन-मदःpride of high birth/noble lineage

मदाःprides, intoxications

एतेthese

अवलिप्तानाम्of the arrogant/insolent (people)

एतेthese

एवindeed, just

सताम्of the good/virtuous

दमाःrestraints, self-controls

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the moral value of learning, wealth, and noble birth depends on character: for the arrogant they become sources of pride and downfall, but for the virtuous they become supports for restraint, responsibility, and disciplined living.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura is giving ethical counsel (Vidura-nīti) in the tense lead-up to war, warning that social advantages like education, riches, and lineage should not inflate ego but should instead strengthen dharma and self-governance.