Shloka 17
त्यजेत् कुलार्थे पुरुष ग्रामस्यार्थे कुलं त्यजेत् ग्रामं जनपदस्यार्थ आत्मार्थे पृथिवीं त्यजेत्
tyajet kulārthe puruṣaḥ grāmasyārthe kulaṃ tyajet | grāmaṃ janapadasyārtha ātmārthe pṛthivīṃ tyajet ||
For the sake of the family’s welfare, a person should be ready to give up an individual; for the welfare of a village, one should give up a family; for the welfare of a country, one should give up a village; and for the sake of one’s own highest good, one should even renounce the whole earth.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura teaches a hierarchy of values: one may relinquish a smaller unit to protect a larger common good (individual → family → village → country), but above all, one should prioritize ātmārtha—one’s highest inner welfare—over worldly power and possessions, even ‘the earth’ itself.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers counsel grounded in dharma and practical statecraft. This verse is part of his ethical instruction, urging clear prioritization and readiness to sacrifice lesser attachments for greater welfare, while affirming that spiritual and moral self-interest ultimately outweighs political dominion.