Shloka 61
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
दुःखार्तेषु प्रमत्तेषु नास्तिकेष्वलसेषु च । न श्रीर्वसत्यदान्तेषु ये चोत्साहविवर्जिता:,जो दुःखसे पीड़ित, प्रमादी, नास्तिक, आलसी, अजितेन्द्रिय और उत्साहरहित हैं, उनके यहाँ लक्ष्मीका वास नहीं होता
duḥkhārteṣu pramatteṣu nāstikeṣv alaseṣu ca | na śrīr vasaty adānteṣu ye cotsāha-vivarjitāḥ ||
Vidura ensina que a prosperidade não permanece com os que são esmagados pela miséria, descuidados na conduta, descrentes da ordem moral e indolentes; nem Lakṣmī habita com os indisciplinados e com aqueles que abandonaram a iniciativa e o esforço. O verso apresenta a fortuna como condicionada pela ética: autocontrole, vigilância e empenho com propósito são requisitos do bem-estar duradouro.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Prosperity (Śrī/Lakṣmī) is not merely accidental; it is sustained by character. Laziness, heedlessness, denial of dharma, lack of self-restraint, and absence of initiative drive away fortune, while vigilance, discipline, and energetic effort invite stability and success.
In the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-filled setting, Vidura addresses the royal court with nīti (practical-ethical instruction), warning that inner failings—indolence, negligence, and uncontrolled senses—undermine a ruler’s and a household’s prosperity at a time when wise conduct is crucial.