Shloka 61
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34 — Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship
तस्मात् पापं न कुर्वीत पुरुष: शंसितव्रत: । पापं प्रज्ञां नाशयति क्रियमाणं पुन: पुन:
tasmāt pāpaṁ na kurvīta puruṣaḥ śaṁsitavrataḥ | pāpaṁ prajñāṁ nāśayati kriyamāṇaṁ punaḥ punaḥ ||
इसलिए प्रशंसित व्रत का पालन करनेवाले पुरुष को पाप नहीं करना चाहिए; क्योंकि बार-बार किया हुआ पाप बुद्धि को नष्ट कर देता है।
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Repeated wrongdoing does not merely add guilt; it corrodes prajñā (discernment). Therefore, one committed to a praiseworthy discipline should avoid pāpa altogether, since the loss of judgment leads to further adharma.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers moral counsel (Vidura-nīti) during the tense pre-war negotiations. Here he admonishes the listener to refrain from sinful acts, emphasizing their cumulative effect on the mind and ethical clarity.