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Shloka 46

Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule

Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38

दुष्कुलीन: कुलीनो वा मर्यादां यो न लड्घयेत्‌ । धमपिक्षी मृदुर्हीमान्‌ स कुलीनशताद्‌ वर:,अधम कुलनमें उत्पन्न हुआ हो या उत्तम कुलमें--जो मर्यादाका उल्लंघन नहीं करता, धर्मकी अपेक्षा रखता है, कोमल स्वभाववाला तथा सलज्ज है, वह सैकड़ों कुलीनोंसे बढ़कर है

duṣkulīnaḥ kulīno vā maryādāṃ yo na laṅghayet | dharmāpekṣī mṛdur hrīmān sa kulīnaśatād varaḥ ||

નીચ કુળમાં જન્મ્યો હોય કે ઉત્તમ કુળમાં—જે મર્યાદાનું ઉલ્લંઘન કરતો નથી, ધર્મને માપદંડ માને છે, સ્વભાવથી કોમળ અને લજ્જાશીલ છે—એવો પુરુષ માત્ર કુલીન કહેવાતા સૈકડા લોકો કરતાં પણ શ્રેષ્ઠ છે.

दुष्कुलीनःof bad family / low-born
दुष्कुलीनः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदुष्कुलीन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कुलीनःwell-born / noble
कुलीनः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootकुलीन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वाor
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
मर्यादाम्boundary; propriety; limit
मर्यादाम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमर्यादा
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
यःwho
यः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
लङ्घयेत्should transgress / would overstep
लङ्घयेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootलङ्घ्
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
धर्मापेक्षीone who looks to dharma; mindful of righteousness
धर्मापेक्षी:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootधर्मापेक्षिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मृदुःgentle
मृदुः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमृदु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ह्रीमान्modest; possessing shame (sense of propriety)
ह्रीमान्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootह्रीमत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
कुलीनशताद्than a hundred nobles / well-born men
कुलीनशताद्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootकुलीनशत
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular
वरःbetter; superior
वरः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootवर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

विदुर उवाच

V
Vidura

Educational Q&A

Moral worth is measured by restraint, dharma-guided conduct, gentleness, and modesty—not by birth or social status; a virtuous person surpasses many who are only high-born.

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers ethical counsel (Vidura-nīti) during the tense pre-war negotiations, emphasizing standards of character and proper conduct as the true marks of nobility.