Shloka 42
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
एक: पापानि कुरुते फल भुड्क्ते महाजन: । भोक्तारो विप्रमुच्यन्ते कर्ता दोषेण लिप्यते
ekaḥ pāpāni kurute phalaṁ bhuṅkte mahājanaḥ | bhoktāro vipramucyante kartā doṣeṇa lipyate ||
Vidura said: A single person commits sinful acts, yet the benefit is enjoyed by many. Those who merely partake of the gains can slip free of the blame, but the one who performs the wrongdoing becomes stained by the fault.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral accountability primarily adheres to the agent who commits the wrongful act. Even if many people benefit from the results, the doer is the one who becomes ethically tainted; sharing the gains does not erase the doer’s culpability.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers pointed ethical counsel amid rising political tension and impending war. This verse functions as a warning against acquiring wealth or advantage through adharma: the perpetrator bears the blame even if others later enjoy the proceeds.