Shloka 53
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34 — Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship
एतान् गुणांस्तात महानुभावा- नेको गुण: संश्रयते प्रसहा । राजा यदा सत्कुरुते मनुष्यं सर्वान् गुणानेष गुणो विभाति
etān guṇāṁs tāta mahānubhāvān eko guṇaḥ saṁśrayate prasahā | rājā yadā satkurute manuṣyaṁ sarvān guṇān eṣa guṇo vibhāti ||
ວິດູຣະກ່າວວ່າ: “ລູກເອີຍ! ໃນບັນດາຄຸນທຳອັນສູງສົ່ງເຫຼົ່ານີ້ ມີຄຸນທຳອັນດຽວທີ່ກົດຄອບຄຸມຄຸນທຳທັງປວງໄວ້ໃນຮົ່ມຂອງມັນ. ເມື່ອໃດກະສັດໃຫ້ກຽດແກ່ຜູ້ໃດ, ປັດໃຈດຽວນັ້ນ—ການຍອມຮັບຈາກລາຊະອຳນາດ—ຈະສ່ອງສະຫວ່າງເຫນືອຄຸນທຳອື່ນທັງໝົດ.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura highlights how social and political power can eclipse intrinsic merit: a king’s public honor can make one quality—royal recognition—appear greater than all other virtues, warning that reputation and status may not reflect true character.
In Vidura’s counsel during the Udyoga Parva, he reflects on human valuation in royal courts: when the king bestows respect on someone, that act of recognition becomes the dominant ‘quality’ in the eyes of society, reshaping how all other virtues are perceived.