Shloka 82
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
यस्य दानजित मित्र शत्रवो युधि निर्जिता: । अन्नपानजिता दारा: सफलं तस्य जीवितम्
yasya dānajitā mitraśatravo yudhi nirjitāḥ | annapānajitā dārāḥ saphalaṃ tasya jīvitam ||
Vidura diz: “A vida desse homem é tida por bem-sucedida—e até confortável—que conquistou amigos com dádivas, subjugou inimigos na batalha e manteve as esposas complacentes com comida e bebida.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura presents a pointed, ethically charged observation about worldly ‘success’: influence gained through gifts, victory in war, and domestic control through material provision. The verse can be read as a critique of reducing human relationships to instruments of power and pleasure, contrasting external prosperity with deeper dharmic ideals.
In the Udyoga Parva, Vidura speaks in the context of counsel and political-moral instruction during the tense pre-war negotiations. Here he articulates a worldly definition of a ‘successful life,’ highlighting the mechanisms by which a powerful man secures allies, defeats opponents, and maintains household compliance.