Shloka 49
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय 33: धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर संवादः (विदुरनीतिः)
आढ्यानां मांसपरमं मध्यानां गोरसोत्तरम् तैलोत्तरं दरिद्राणां भोजनं भरतर्षभ
āḍhyānāṁ māṁsa-paramaṁ madhyānāṁ go-rasottaram tailottaraṁ daridrāṇāṁ bhojanaṁ bharatarṣabha bharataśreṣṭha
Wahai banteng di antara kaum Bharata: pada kaum kaya, santapan cenderung didominasi daging; pada mereka yang berkecukupan, oleh hasil sapi—susu dan olahannya; dan pada kaum miskin, oleh minyak. Demikianlah hidangan manusia memantulkan kedudukannya.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura points out that a person’s diet often mirrors wealth and temperament: luxury leans toward heavier, indulgent foods; moderate means toward sustaining staples like dairy; poverty toward cheaper fats like oil. The ethical thrust is to recognize how desire and status shape habits, and to cultivate restraint rather than being driven by appetite and pride.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura delivers counsel (nīti) to the Kuru king Dhṛtarāṣṭra as war approaches. This verse is part of his practical, moral instruction, using everyday examples—like food preferences—to illustrate human tendencies and the need for self-governance.