Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
यस्य कृत्यं न विघ्नन्ति शीतमुष्णं भयं रति: । समृद्धिरसमृद्धिर्वां स वै पण्डित उच्यते,सर्दी-गरमी, भय-अनुराग, सम्पत्ति अथवा दरिद्रता--ये जिसके कार्यमें विघ्न नहीं डालते, वही पण्डित कहलाता है
yasya kṛtyaṁ na vighnanti śītam uṣṇaṁ bhayaṁ ratiḥ | samṛddhir asamṛddhir vāṁ sa vai paṇḍita ucyate ||
ਠੰਢ-ਗਰਮੀ, ਡਰ-ਮੋਹ, ਧਨ-ਸੰਪੱਤਾ ਜਾਂ ਗਰੀਬੀ—ਇਹ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਕਰਤੱਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੁਕਾਵਟ ਨਾ ਪਾਉਣ, ਉਹੀ ਸੱਚਾ ਪੰਡਿਤ ਕਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ।
विदुर उवाच
A truly wise person remains steadfast in duty and right action, not allowing bodily discomfort (cold/heat), emotional disturbances (fear/attachment), or external circumstances (prosperity/poverty) to derail what ought to be done.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers moral counsel (nīti) in the tense lead-up to war, defining the marks of a paṇḍita: inner steadiness and unwavering commitment to duty amid life’s opposites.