Shloka 28

Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum

Udyoga-parva 35

Devanagari script

कुलानि समुपेतानि गोभि: पुरुषतो<र्थतः । कुलसंख्यां न गच्छन्ति यानि हीनानि वृत्तत:,गौओं, मनुष्यों और धनसे सम्पन्न होकर भी जो कुल सदाचारसे हीन हैं, वे अच्छे कुलोंकी गणनामें नहीं आ सकते

Transliteration

kulāni samupetāni gobhiḥ puruṣato'rthataḥ | kulasaṅkhyāṃ na gacchanti yāni hīnāni vṛttataḥ ||

Translation

แม้ตระกูลจะพรั่งพร้อมด้วยโค ผู้คน และทรัพย์สิน แต่หากขาดความประพฤติชอบ (วฤตตะ) ก็ย่อมไม่อาจนับรวมในหมู่ตระกูลผู้สูงศักดิ์ได้

Word by Word

कुलानिfamilies, lineages

समुपेतानिendowed with, possessed of

गोभिःwith cows

पुरुषतःin respect of men/people (from the side of men)

अर्थतःin respect of wealth (from the side of wealth)

कुलसंख्याम्the count/rank of (good) families

नnot

गच्छन्तिgo, attain, are counted

यानिwhich (families)

हीनानिdevoid of, lacking

वृत्ततःin conduct/behavior (from the standpoint of conduct)

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

kula (lineage/family)

go (cows/cattle)

puruṣa (men/people)

artha (wealth)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True nobility of a lineage is determined by vṛtta (ethical conduct), not by external assets like cattle, manpower, or wealth; prosperity without sadācāra does not qualify a family as genuinely ‘good’ or respectable.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-filled setting, Vidura instructs the Kuru court on dharma and statecraft; here he emphasizes that social honor and ‘good family’ status rest on moral behavior rather than material abundance.