Shloka 42
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
एक: पापानि कुरुते फल भुड्क्ते महाजन: । भोक्तारो विप्रमुच्यन्ते कर्ता दोषेण लिप्यते,मनुष्य अकेला पाप कर (-के धन कमा)-ता है और (उस धनका) उपभोग बहुत-से लोग करते हैं। उपभोग करनेवाले तो दोषसे छूट जाते हैं, पर उसका कर्ता दोषका भागी होता है
ekaḥ pāpāni kurute phalaṁ bhuṅkte mahājanaḥ | bhoktāro vipramucyante kartā doṣeṇa lipyate ||
Dijo Vidura: Una sola persona comete el pecado, pero muchos disfrutan del fruto. Quienes sólo participan de la ganancia pueden librarse de la culpa; mas el que ejecuta la mala acción queda manchado por la falta.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral accountability primarily adheres to the agent who commits the wrongful act. Even if many people benefit from the results, the doer is the one who becomes ethically tainted; sharing the gains does not erase the doer’s culpability.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers pointed ethical counsel amid rising political tension and impending war. This verse functions as a warning against acquiring wealth or advantage through adharma: the perpetrator bears the blame even if others later enjoy the proceeds.