Shloka 59
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
न्यायागतस्य द्रव्यस्य बोद्धव्यौ द्वावतिक्रमौ । अपात्रे प्रतिपत्तिश्व पात्रे चाप्रतिपादनम्,न्यायपूर्वक उपार्जित किये हुए धनके दो ही दुरुपयोग समझने चाहिये--अपात्रको देना और सत्पात्रको न देना
nyāyāgatasya dravyasya boddhavyau dvāv atikramau | apātre pratipattiś ca pātre cāpratipādanam ||
Vidura enseña que incluso la riqueza adquirida por medios justos puede malgastarse éticamente de solo dos maneras fundamentales: dándola a quien no la merece y negándosela a quien sí la merece. En otras palabras, la prosperidad conforme al dharma se preserva no solo con el trabajo honrado, sino con una distribución justa y discerniente: sostener a los dignos y no dar poder a los indignos.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteously earned wealth is still subject to moral failure if it is distributed without discernment: giving to the unworthy is harmful, and withholding from the worthy is equally a misuse. Dharma requires both just acquisition and just allocation.
In the Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers counsel on dharma and statecraft (Vidura-nīti) amid rising tension before the Kurukṣetra war. Here he instructs that the ethical handling of resources depends on recognizing who is fit to receive support and ensuring that deserving persons are not neglected.