Shloka 49
उद्योगपर्व — गान्धारी-उपदेशः
Udyoga Parva — Gandhārī’s Counsel to Duryodhana
त्यजेत् कुलार्थे पुरुष ग्रामस्यार्थे कुलं त्यजेत् ग्रामं जनपदस्यार्थ आत्मार्थे पृथिवीं त्यजेत्
tyajet kulārthe puruṣaṁ grāmasyārthe kulaṁ tyajet | grāmaṁ janapadasyārtha ātmārthe pṛthivīṁ tyajet ||
कुल के हित के लिए एक पुरुष को, गाँव के हित के लिए एक कुल को, जनपद के हित के लिए एक गाँव को, और आत्मकल्याण के लिए समस्त पृथ्वी को भी त्याग देना चाहिए।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
It teaches a graded principle of ethical sacrifice: smaller interests may be relinquished for larger communal welfare (person → clan → village → realm), but above even political and material goods stands ātmārtha—one’s highest spiritual good—worthy of renouncing everything else.
In Udyoga Parva’s counsel-laden context, Vaiśampāyana reports a maxim used to frame policy and moral decision-making before the great conflict: rulers and elders weigh individual loss against collective welfare, while also affirming that inner righteousness and spiritual welfare ultimately outrank worldly dominion.