Shloka 56
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
द्वाविमौ कण्टकौ तीक्ष्णौ शरीरपरिशोषिणौ । यश्चाधन: कामयते यश्च कुप्यत्यनी श्वरः
dvāv imau kaṇṭakau tīkṣṇau śarīra-pariśoṣiṇau | yaś cādhanaḥ kāmayate yaś ca kupyaty anīśvaraḥ ||
Vidura said: “These two are sharp thorns that drain and wither one’s very body: the man who, though poor, hankers after costly possessions, and the man who, though powerless, gives way to anger. Both torment their own self and consume their strength.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unrestrained desire without means and anger without power are self-destructive. They act like “sharp thorns,” causing inner torment and wasting one’s health and energy; therefore one should cultivate contentment, discernment, and restraint.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers moral counsel (nīti) amid rising tensions before the great war. Here he warns about two common human failings—greed in poverty and rage in helplessness—highlighting how they harm the person who indulges them.