Mahabharata — Stree Parva, Shloka 17
Saṃsāra-gahana-jñāna: Vidura’s Account of Embodiment, Bondage, and Dharmic Release (संसारगहन-ज्ञानम्)
विशेषं न प्रपश्यन्ति तत्र तेषां परे जना: । येन प्रत्यवगच्छेयु: कुलरूपविशेषणम्
viśeṣaṃ na prapaśyanti tatra teṣāṃ pare janāḥ | yena pratyavagaccheyuḥ kularūpaviśeṣaṇam |
ત્યાં ઊભેલા પરાયા લોકો તેમામાં કોઈ વિશેષ ભેદ નથી જોઈ શકતા—જેનાથી કોઈના કુળની ઓળખ કે રૂપની વિશેષતા જાણી શકાય।
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
External observers cannot reliably identify a person’s lineage or distinctive status by outward marks alone, especially amid upheaval; therefore one should not cling to pride of birth or appearance, and should ground judgment in character and conduct (ācāra) rather than superficial identifiers.
In Strī Parva’s lament-filled aftermath of the Kurukṣetra catastrophe, Vidura speaks in a reflective, admonitory tone, pointing out how devastation and disorder erase recognizable social distinctions, intensifying the sense of loss and challenging assumptions about status and identity.
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