Shloka 18
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
कुले जातस्य वृद्धस्य परवित्तेषु गृद्धयत: । लोभ: प्रज्ञानमाहन्ति प्रज्ञा हन्ति हता द्वियम्
kule jātasya vṛddhasya paravitteṣu gṛddhyataḥ | lobhaḥ prajñām āhanti prajñā hanti hatā dhriyam ||
اگر کوئی شخص شریف خاندان میں پیدا ہو کر اور بڑھاپے کو پہنچ کر بھی دوسرے کے مال کا لالچ کرے تو وہ حرص اس کی بصیرت و تمیز کو کچل دیتی ہے؛ اور جب بصیرت مٹ جائے تو وہی آگے چل کر اس کی حیا اور ضبطِ نفس کو بھی فنا کر دیتی ہے۔
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Greed for another’s wealth erodes discernment (prajñā); once judgment collapses, a person’s restraint and moral steadiness (dhṛti) also collapse, leading to unethical action even in those expected to be virtuous by birth and age.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a moral warning: covetousness is not merely a desire but a force that dismantles the inner faculties needed for dharma, thereby explaining how respected elders can still fall into wrongdoing.