Shloka 4
कृष्णेन विदुरं प्रति आगमन-हेतु-निवेदनम् / Krishna explains the purpose of his coming to Vidura
कामात्मा प्राज्ञमानी च मित्रध्रुक् सर्वशड्कितः । अकर्ता चाकृतज्ञश्न त्यक्तधर्मा प्रियानृत:
kāmātmā prājñamānī ca mitradhruk sarvaśaṅkitaḥ | akartā cākṛtajñaś ca tyaktadharmo priyānṛtaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „Von Begierde und Genuss beherrscht, hält er sich für weise. Er verrät Freunde und betrachtet jeden mit Misstrauen. Er tut niemandem Gutes und erkennt das Gute, das man ihm erweist, nicht an. Da er das Dharma aufgegeben hat, ist ihm die Unwahrheit lieb geworden.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse lists moral failings that mark a person who has fallen from dharma: desire-driven living, arrogant self-assurance, betrayal of friends, universal suspicion, refusal to do good, ingratitude, and love of falsehood. It implies that such traits corrode trust and righteousness and make one unfit for honorable conduct.
Vaiśampāyana is describing a particular type of corrupt character in the Udyoga Parva context, where moral scrutiny intensifies before the great war. The verse functions as ethical diagnosis—identifying dispositions that lead to social breakdown and conflict.