Shloka 22
Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच महाकुले भ्य: स्पृहयन्ति देवा धर्मार्थनित्याश्व बहुश्रुताश्न । पृच्छामि त्वां विदुर प्रश्नमेत॑ भवन्ति वै कानि महाकुलानि
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | mahākulebhyaḥ spṛhayanti devā dharmārthanityāś ca bahuśrutāś ca | pṛcchāmi tvāṃ vidura praśnam etad bhavanti vai kāni mahākulāni ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: Selbst die Götter sehnen sich danach, in großen Geschlechtern geboren zu werden—bei denen, die standhaft in Dharma und Artha sind und durch Gelehrsamkeit berühmt. Darum, Vidura, frage ich dich: Welche Familien sind wahrhaft als „große“, als edle Linien anzusehen?
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
True nobility is not merely birth-based; it is associated with sustained commitment to dharma and artha and with learning (bahuśruta). The verse frames ‘great lineage’ as an ethical and cultural ideal that even the gods value.
In Udyoga Parva, Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Vidura, seeking a definition of what counts as a truly ‘great’ family. This sets up Vidura’s counsel on virtue, conduct, and the standards by which people and dynasties should be judged.