Shloka 306
Strī Parva, Adhyāya 2 — Vidura’s Consolation on Kāla, Karma, and the Limits of Lamentation (विदुरोपदेशः)
असंतुष्टा: प्रमुहान्ति संतोष॑ यान्ति पण्डिता: । धनकी भिन्न-भिन्न अवस्थाविशेषको पाकर असंतोषी मनुष्य तो मोहित हो जाते हैं; परंतु विद्वान् पुरुष सदा संतुष्ट ही रहते हैं
asantuṣṭāḥ pramuhyanti santoṣaṁ yānti paṇḍitāḥ |
Vidura teaches that those who remain dissatisfied become deluded and lose clarity of judgment, whereas the wise cultivate contentment. In the aftermath of the war’s devastation, this counsel frames inner restraint as a moral safeguard: greed and perpetual wanting cloud discernment, but contentment steadies the mind and supports dharma even amid grief and upheaval.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dissatisfaction breeds delusion and poor judgment, while contentment is a mark of wisdom; cultivating santoṣa protects one’s discernment and supports ethical living.
In Strī Parva’s grief-filled aftermath of the Kurukṣetra war, Vidura offers moral instruction, emphasizing inner discipline—especially contentment—as a stabilizing virtue amid loss and turmoil.