Shloka 45
उद्योगपर्व — विदुरनीतिः (Adhyāya 37): आयुःक्षयहेतवः, नीतिसूत्राणि, बलभेदाः, पाण्डव-विग्रहदोषदर्शनम्
य॑ प्रशंसन्ति कितवा यं॑ प्रशंसन्ति चारणा: । य॑ प्रशंसन्ति बन्धक्यो न स जीवति मानव:
yaṁ praśaṁsanti kitavā yaṁ praśaṁsanti cāraṇāḥ | yaṁ praśaṁsanti bandhakyo na sa jīvati mānavaḥ ||
Vidura diz: “Um homem a quem os jogadores aplaudem, a quem bardos e entretenedores profissionais elogiam, e a quem cortesãs exaltam, não está verdadeiramente vivo; embora respire, vive como quem já morreu—pois sua vida é regida pelo vício e pela aprovação vazia, e não pelo dharma e pelo autocontrole.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura warns that seeking validation from morally compromised circles—gamblers, hired flatterers, and courtesans—signals a life ruled by indulgence and vanity. Such a person may be alive physically, but is 'as good as dead' ethically, because dharma, restraint, and honorable reputation have been abandoned.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura delivers counsel (nīti) meant to correct destructive tendencies in the Kuru court. This verse is part of his sharp social-ethical critique: he identifies the kind of praise that should alarm a ruler or householder, because it comes from those who profit from another’s weakness.