Shloka 98
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
समये च प्रियालाप: स्वयूथ्येषु समुन्नति: । अभिप्रेतस्य लाभश्व॒ पूजा च जनसंसदि
samaye ca priyālāpaḥ svayūthyeṣu samunnatiḥ | abhipretasya lābhaś ca pūjā ca janasansadi, bhārata |
Vidura berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, inilah yang tampak sebagai inti kebahagiaan—dan sekaligus menjadi sarana kebahagiaan duniawi: berjumpa dengan sahabat, memperoleh kekayaan yang lebih besar, memeluk putra, bersatu dalam hubungan suami-istri, mengucapkan kata-kata yang menyenangkan pada waktunya, naik derajat di tengah golongan sendiri, mendapatkan apa yang diidamkan, dan menerima penghormatan di sidang umum.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura identifies eight commonly recognized sources of worldly joy—social connection, prosperity, family affection, sexual pleasure, timely pleasant speech, status among one’s peers, fulfillment of desires, and public honor—implying that a ruler should understand what people seek and how such pursuits shape conduct.
In Vidura’s counsel to Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the Udyoga Parva, he is describing human motivations and the constituents of happiness as part of broader political-ethical instruction meant to guide the king’s judgment during the tense pre-war negotiations.