Shloka 121
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
य आत्मनापत्रपते भृशं नरः स सर्वलोकस्य गुरुर्भवत्युत । अनन्ततेजा: सुमना: समाहित: स तेजसा सूर्य इवावभासते
ya ātmanāpatrapate bhṛśaṁ naraḥ sa sarvalokasya gurur bhavaty uta | anantatejāḥ sumanāḥ samāhitaḥ sa tejasā sūrya ivāvabhāsate ||
Vidura berkata: Orang yang sangat merasa malu di hadapan dirinya sendiri—yang ditahan kuat oleh suara batin—itulah yang menjadi guru bagi seluruh dunia. Berpancaran tanpa batas, berhati bening dan terpusat, ia bersinar oleh kemuliaan moralnya laksana matahari.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True moral greatness arises from inner conscience: one who feels deep shame before his own self avoids wrongdoing even without external pressure, and thus becomes a guide for society; such integrity gives a person a radiant, sun-like moral presence.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura delivers ethical counsel (nīti) amid the tense pre-war negotiations; here he praises the person governed by self-shame and inner restraint as the world’s true ‘guru,’ emphasizing character as the foundation of authority.