Shloka 63
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
अत्यार्यमतिदातारमतिशूरमतिव्रतम् । प्रज्ञाभिमानिनं चैव श्रीर्भयान्नोपसर्पति,अत्यन्त श्रेष्ठ अतिशय दानी, अतीव शूरवीर, अधिक व्रत-नियमोंका पालन करनेवाले और बुद्धिके घमंडमें चूर रहनेवाले मनुष्यके पास लक्ष्मी भयके मारे नहीं जाती
atyāryam atidātāram atiśūram ativratam | prajñābhimāninaṃ caiva śrīr bhayān nopasarpati ||
Sekalipun seseorang amat mulia, sangat dermawan, sangat gagah, dan keras dalam laku serta disiplin, bila ia mabuk oleh kesombongan atas kecerdasannya sendiri, maka Śrī (kemakmuran) tidak mendekatinya—menjauh karena takut.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pride in one’s own intelligence undermines even great virtues like generosity, heroism, and austerity; lasting prosperity avoids the arrogant. The verse promotes humility as the safeguard that allows merit to bear stable fruit.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura delivers moral counsel (nīti) in the tense lead-up to war, warning the Kuru court about character flaws that bring ruin. Here he cautions that intellectual arrogance repels Śrī—symbolizing fortune, stability, and auspicious success.