Shloka 27
ब्राह्मणानां परिभवात् परिवादाच्च भारत । कुलान्यकुलतां यान्ति न्न्यासापहरणेन च,भारत! ब्राह्मणोंक अनादर और निन्दासे तथा धरोहर रखी हुई वस्तुको छिपा लेनेसे अच्छे कुल भी निन्दनीय हो जाते हैं
brāhmaṇānāṃ paribhavāt parivādāc ca bhārata | kulāny akulatāṃ yānti nyāsāpaharaṇena ca ||
Vidura said: “O Bhārata, by insulting Brahmins, by slander and malicious speech, and by misappropriating entrusted deposits, even families of good lineage fall into disgrace and come to be regarded as base. Such deeds corrode a house’s honor and undermine its standing in dharma.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A family’s nobility is sustained by dharmic conduct: honoring Brahmins, avoiding slander, and safeguarding entrusted property. Contempt, defamation, and breach of trust destroy reputation and cause even respected lineages to be viewed as degraded.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers moral counsel (nīti) to the Kuru king/elder, warning that specific unethical behaviors—insulting Brahmins, spreading/entertaining slander, and stealing deposits held in trust—bring social and moral downfall upon a household.