Shloka 69
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34 — Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship
जीर्णमन्नं प्रशंसन्ति भार्या च गतयौवनाम् । शूरं विजितसंग्रामं गतपारं तपस्विनम्
jīrṇam annaṁ praśaṁsanti bhāryāṁ ca gatayauvanām | śūraṁ vijitasaṅgrāmaṁ gatapāraṁ tapasvinam ||
ວິດູຣະເຫັນແບບແຜນຂອງໂລກ: ຜູ້ຄົນຊົມເຊີຍອາຫານເມື່ອມັນເກົ່າແລະເສື່ອມ, ຊົມເຊີຍເມຍເມື່ອຍຸວະໄວຜ່ານໄປ, ຊົມເຊີຍວິລະຊົນເມື່ອຊະນະສົງຄາມແລ້ວ, ແລະຊົມເຊີຍຕະປະສີເມື່ອຂ້າມຝັ່ງໄກ—ຄືສຳເລັດການຜ່ານພົນທຸກຂອງຊີວິດແລະວິໄນ. ຄວາມແຫຼມຄົມທາງຈິດທຳຄື ສັງຄົມມັກໃຫ້ກຽດຊ້າ—ເມື່ອບໍ່ຕ້ອງເສຍຫຍັງ—ແທນການຍອມຮັບທັນເວລາທີ່ຊ່ວຍຄ້ຳຈຸນທຳມະໃນປັດຈຸບັນ.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse criticizes delayed appreciation: people often praise only after value has faded or the struggle is already over. Vidura implies that true dharmic conduct is to recognize and honor merit, effort, and virtue in time—when encouragement and respect can actually support right action.
In Vidura’s counsel (vidura-nīti) within the Udyoga Parva, he offers sharp observations about human behavior and courtly society. Here he lists examples—stale food, an aged wife, a battle-worn victor, and an ascetic who has ‘crossed over’—to show how praise is commonly postponed until it is safe, conventional, or costless.