Shloka 28
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
प्रवृत्तवाक् चित्रकथ ऊहवान् प्रतिभानवान् | आशु ग्रन्थस्य वक्ता च यः स पण्डित उच्यते,जिसकी वाणी कहीं रुकती नहीं, जो विचित्र ढंगसे बातचीत करता है, तर्कमें निपुण और प्रतिभाशाली है तथा जो ग्रन्थके तात्पर्यको शीघ्र बता सकता है, वह पण्डित कहलाता है
pravṛttavāk citrakatha ūhavān pratibhānavān | āśu granthasya vaktā ca yaḥ sa paṇḍita ucyate ||
Vidura defines the marks of a truly learned person: one whose speech flows without faltering, who can converse with variety and apt illustration, who is skilled in reasoning and endowed with quick intelligence, and who can promptly state the intended meaning of a text—such a person is called a paṇḍita.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Learning is measured not merely by memorized knowledge but by communicative clarity and intellectual discernment: fluent expression, engaging discourse, sound reasoning, quick insight, and the ability to state a text’s intended meaning.
In Vidura’s counsel (Vidura-nīti) within the Udyoga Parva, he is characterizing the qualities of a true paṇḍita as part of broader ethical instruction offered to guide conduct and judgment during a tense political crisis.