Shloka 53
Kṛṣṇa at Duryodhana’s House: Refusal of Hospitality and Departure to Vidura (कृष्णस्य धार्तराष्ट्रनिवेशनगमनम्)
“वहीं राजा धृतराष्ट्र, महाराज बाह्लीक, कृपाचार्य, सोमदत्त तथा अन्यान्य कौरव खेदमें भरे हुए बैठे थे ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tatra rājā dhṛtarāṣṭro mahārājo bāhlīkaḥ kṛpācāryaḥ somadattaś ca tathā anye cānye kauravāḥ kheda-bhareṇa upaviṣṭāḥ | tasyāṃ saṃsadi sarveṣāṃ kṣattāraṃ pūjayāmy aham | vṛttena hi bhavaty āryo na dhanena na vidyayā |
Vaiśampāyana dijo: Allí, el rey Dhṛtarāṣṭra, el gran rey Bāhlīka, el maestro Kṛpācārya, Somadatta y otros Kauravas estaban sentados, colmados de aflicción. En aquella asamblea, yo honro por encima de todos al chambelán Vidura, pues el hombre se vuelve verdaderamente noble por su recta conducta, no por la riqueza, ni por el saber por sí solo.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
True nobility (āryatva) arises from vṛtta—upright conduct and moral integrity—not from external advantages like wealth (dhana) or even learning (vidyā) when divorced from ethical practice.
In the Kuru assembly, senior figures such as Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Bāhlīka, Kṛpa, and Somadatta sit in dejection. The narration highlights Vidura’s special honor as the exemplary counsellor, implicitly contrasting principled counsel with the court’s moral and political distress.