Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34 — Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship
तस्मात् पापं न कुर्वीत पुरुष: शंसितव्रत: । पापं प्रज्ञां नाशयति क्रियमाणं पुन: पुन:
tasmāt pāpaṁ na kurvīta puruṣaḥ śaṁsitavrataḥ | pāpaṁ prajñāṁ nāśayati kriyamāṇaṁ punaḥ punaḥ ||
म्हणून प्रशंसनीय व्रत पाळणाऱ्या पुरुषाने पाप करू नये; कारण वारंवार केलेले पाप बुद्धीचा नाश करते।
विदुर उवाच
Repeated wrongdoing does not merely add guilt; it corrodes prajñā (discernment). Therefore, one committed to a praiseworthy discipline should avoid pāpa altogether, since the loss of judgment leads to further adharma.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers moral counsel (Vidura-nīti) during the tense pre-war negotiations. Here he admonishes the listener to refrain from sinful acts, emphasizing their cumulative effect on the mind and ethical clarity.