Shloka 46
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
दुष्कुलीन: कुलीनो वा मर्यादां यो न लड्घयेत् । धमपिक्षी मृदुर्हीमान् स कुलीनशताद् वर:
duṣkulīnaḥ kulīno vā maryādāṃ yo na laṅghayet | dharmāpekṣī mṛdur hrīmān sa kulīnaśatād varaḥ ||
Vidura sprach: Ob jemand in niedriger oder in vornehmer Familie geboren ist—wer die gebührenden Grenzen nicht überschreitet, Dharma zum Maßstab nimmt, sanft von Wesen ist und Schamhaftigkeit besitzt, der ist besser als hundert, die nur von hoher Geburt sind.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral worth is measured by restraint, dharma-guided conduct, gentleness, and modesty—not by birth or social status; a virtuous person surpasses many who are only high-born.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers ethical counsel (Vidura-nīti) during the tense pre-war negotiations, emphasizing standards of character and proper conduct as the true marks of nobility.