Shloka 51
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
इन्द्रियाणामनुत्सगों मृत्युनापि विशिष्यते । अत्यर्थ पुनरुत्सर्ग: सादयेद् दैवतान्यपि
indriyāṇām anutsargo mṛtyunāpi viśiṣyate | atyarthaḥ punar utsargaḥ sādayed daivatāny api ||
Vidura teaches that mastering the senses is a discipline harder than facing death itself; yet letting the senses run entirely unchecked becomes so ruinous that it can bring even the gods to downfall. The ethical mean is restraint—neither forced suppression nor reckless indulgence, but governed self-control aligned with dharma.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True discipline lies in balanced restraint of the senses: suppressing them completely is extremely hard, but abandoning restraint is destructive. Dharma is served by regulated control rather than extremes.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura delivers nīti (ethical counsel) amid rising political tension before the great war, warning that inner governance—especially of the senses—is essential for wise action and stability.