Shloka 18
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
यस्य कृत्यं न जानन्ति मन्त्र वा मन्त्रितं परे । कृतमेवास्य जानन्ति स वै पण्डित उच्यते
yasya kṛtyaṃ na jānanti mantraṃ vā mantritaṃ pare | kṛtam evāsya jānanti sa vai paṇḍita ucyate ||
Vidura said: “He is called truly wise whose intended action, counsel, or prior deliberation is not known to others; people come to know of it only when the work has been accomplished.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True wisdom is shown by restraint and effectiveness: do not publicize your intended duty, strategy, or deliberations; let others learn of them only through the completed result.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura delivers moral and political counsel (Vidura-nīti) during the tense pre-war negotiations; here he defines a ‘paṇḍita’ as one who plans discreetly and acts successfully without revealing intentions prematurely.