Shloka 14
हंस–साध्यसंवादः, वाक्-निग्रहः, महाकुल-लक्षणम्, शान्ति-उपायः
Hamsa–Sādhya Dialogue; Restraint of Speech; Marks of Noble Lineage; Means to Peace
गृहीतवाक्यो नयविद् वदान्य: शेषान्नभोक्ता हाविहिंसकश्न । नानर्थकृत्याकुलितः कृतज्ञः सत्यो मृदुः स्वर्गमुपैति विद्वान्
gṛhītavākyo nayavid vadānyaḥ śeṣānna-bhoktā hāvi-hiṁsakaś ca | nānarthakṛtyākulitaḥ kṛtajñaḥ satyo mṛduḥ svargam upaiti vidvān ||
Orang bijak yang memegang nasihat para tua-tua, memahami tata kebijakan, dermawan, makan hanya sisa persembahan (yajña-śeṣa), bebas dari kekerasan, tidak terjerat dalam perbuatan sia-sia yang mencelakakan, tahu berterima kasih, berkata benar, dan berhati lembut—dialah yang mencapai surga.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura defines the ethical profile of a truly wise person: receptive to good counsel, skilled in right conduct, generous, disciplined in consumption (accepting only what is ritually and morally ‘left over’), non-violent, free from futile/harmful pursuits, grateful, truthful, and gentle. Such integrated virtues are said to lead to spiritual merit and a blessed destiny (svarga).
In the Udyoga Parva, as negotiations and preparations for the Kurukṣetra war intensify, Vidura offers moral and practical instruction (nīti) to restrain passion and guide decision-making. This verse functions as a compact standard of conduct—contrasting the calm, dharmic person with those driven toward destructive, anartha-producing actions.