Shloka 31
गोभि: पशुभिरश्वैश्व कृष्पा च सुसमृद्धया । कुलानि न प्ररोहन्ति यानि हीनानि वृत्तत:,जो कुल सदाचारसे हीन हैं, वे गौओं, पशुओं, घोड़ों तथा हरी-भरी खेतीसे सम्पन्न होनेपर भी उन्नति नहीं कर पाते
gobhiḥ paśubhir aśvaiś ca kṛṣpā ca susamṛddhayā | kulāni na prarohanti yāni hīnāni vṛttataḥ ||
Vidura says: “Even if a family possesses cows, other livestock, horses, and richly flourishing agriculture, it does not truly rise or prosper if it is deficient in right conduct. Material abundance cannot compensate for the loss of ethical discipline and good character.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True prosperity depends on vṛtta (ethical conduct). Wealth in cattle, livestock, horses, and fertile farming cannot make a lineage flourish if it lacks good character and disciplined behavior.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers nīti (practical moral counsel) during the tense pre-war negotiations, emphasizing that social and familial stability rests on dharma rather than on material resources.