Shloka 14
हंस–साध्यसंवादः, वाक्-निग्रहः, महाकुल-लक्षणम्, शान्ति-उपायः
Hamsa–Sādhya Dialogue; Restraint of Speech; Marks of Noble Lineage; Means to Peace
गृहीतवाक्यो नयविद् वदान्य: शेषान्नभोक्ता हाविहिंसकश्न । नानर्थकृत्याकुलितः कृतज्ञः सत्यो मृदुः स्वर्गमुपैति विद्वान्,बड़ोंकी आज्ञा माननेवाला, नीतिज्ञ, दाता, यज्ञशेष अन्नका भोजन करनेवाला, हिंसारहित, अनर्थपूर्ण कार्योंसे दूर रहनेवाला, कृतज्ञ, सत्यवादी और कोमल स्वभाववाला विद्वान स्वर्गगामी होता है
gṛhītavākyo nayavid vadānyaḥ śeṣānna-bhoktā hāvi-hiṁsakaś ca | nānarthakṛtyākulitaḥ kṛtajñaḥ satyo mṛduḥ svargam upaiti vidvān ||
Vidura dit : Le sage qui écoute l’avis des anciens, connaît la juste conduite, se montre généreux, ne mange que la nourriture restante après les offrandes, est exempt de violence, ne s’enlise pas dans des entreprises vaines et nuisibles, sait la gratitude, dit la vérité et demeure doux de nature—un tel savant atteint le ciel.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura defines the ethical profile of a truly wise person: receptive to good counsel, skilled in right conduct, generous, disciplined in consumption (accepting only what is ritually and morally ‘left over’), non-violent, free from futile/harmful pursuits, grateful, truthful, and gentle. Such integrated virtues are said to lead to spiritual merit and a blessed destiny (svarga).
In the Udyoga Parva, as negotiations and preparations for the Kurukṣetra war intensify, Vidura offers moral and practical instruction (nīti) to restrain passion and guide decision-making. This verse functions as a compact standard of conduct—contrasting the calm, dharmic person with those driven toward destructive, anartha-producing actions.