Shloka 29
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
श्रुतं प्रज्ञानुगं यस्य प्रज्ञा चैव श्रुतानुगा । असम्भिन्नार्यमर्याद: पण्डिताख्यां लभेत सः,जिसकी विद्या बुद्धिका अनुसरण करती है और बुद्धि विद्याका तथा जो शिष्ट पुरुषोंकी मर्यादाका उल्लंघन नहीं करता, वही पण्डितकी संज्ञा पा सकता है
śrutaṃ prajñānugaṃ yasya prajñā caiva śrutānugā | asambhinnāryamaryādaḥ paṇḍitākhyāṃ labheta saḥ ||
Vidura says: He alone deserves to be called a learned person whose learning follows wisdom and whose wisdom, in turn, follows learning—one who does not violate the established boundaries of noble conduct. Such harmony of knowledge, discernment, and respect for the standards of the cultured is the mark of a true paṇḍita.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True scholarship is not mere accumulation of learning; it is the mutual alignment of learning (śruta) and discernment (prajñā), expressed through unwavering respect for noble standards of conduct (ārya-maryādā).
In Vidura’s counsel during the Udyoga Parva, he defines who merits the title ‘paṇḍita’: a person whose knowledge and judgment guide each other and who does not transgress the ethical boundaries upheld by the cultured and righteous.