Shloka 41
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
मत्या परीक्ष्य मेधावी बुद्धया सम्पाद्य चासकृत् । श्र॒ुत्वा दृष्टवाथ विज्ञाय प्राज्ञैमैत्रीं समाचरेत्,बुद्धिमान् पुरुष बुद्धिसे जाँचकर अपने अनुभवसे बारंबार उनकी योग्यताका निश्चय करे; फिर दूसरोंसे सुनकर और स्वयं देखकर भलीभाँति विचार करके विद्वानोंके साथ मित्रता करे
matyā parīkṣya medhāvī buddhyā sampādya cāsakṛt | śrutvā dṛṣṭvātha vijñāya prājñair maitrīṃ samācaret ||
Vidura aconselha: O homem verdadeiramente inteligente deve primeiro provar os outros com juízo cuidadoso e, por reflexão repetida, firmar um entendimento seguro do seu valor. Depois—tendo ouvido relatos fidedignos, observado por si mesmo e discernido a verdade—deve cultivar amizade com os sábios.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Friendship should be formed only after careful, repeated examination of a person’s character—using reason, trustworthy testimony, and one’s own observation—and it should be directed toward the wise (prājña), since companionship shapes one’s dharma and conduct.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura is giving moral-political counsel during the tense pre-war negotiations. Here he lays down a principle of prudent association: verify people through thought, inquiry, and direct experience, and then align oneself with discerning, virtuous companions.