संतोषो वै श्रियं हन्ति तथानुक्रोश एव च ॥
अनुत्थानभये चोभे निरीहो नाश्नुते महत् ॥
एभ्यो निकृतिपापेभ्यः प्रमुञ्चात्मानम् आत्मना ॥
आयसं हृदयं कृत्वा मृगयस्व पुनः स्वकम् ॥
पुरं विषहते यस्मात् तस्मात् पुरुष उच्यते ॥
तम् आहुर् व्यर्थनामानं स्त्रीवद् य इह जीवति ॥
शूरस्योर्जितसत्त्वस्य सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनः ॥
दिष्टभावं गतस्यापि विघसे मोदते प्रजा ॥
य आत्मनः प्रियसुखे हित्वा मृगयते श्रियम् ॥
अमात्यानाम् अथो हर्षम् आदधात्य् अचिरेण सः ॥
saṃtoṣo vai śriyaṃ hanti tathānukrośa eva ca ||
anutthānabhaye cobhe nirīho nāśnute mahat ||
ebhyo nikṛtipāpebhyaḥ pramuñcātmānam ātmanā ||
āyasaṃ hṛdayaṃ kṛtvā mṛgayasva punaḥ svakam ||
puraṃ viṣahate yasmāt tasmāt puruṣa ucyate ||
tam āhur vyarthanāmānaṃ strīvad ya iha jīvati ||
śūrasyorjitasattvasya siṃhavikrāntagāminaḥ ||
diṣṭabhāvaṃ gatasyāpi vighase modate prajā ||
ya ātmanaḥ priyasukhe hitvā mṛgayate śriyam ||
amātyānām atho harṣam ādadhāty acireṇa saḥ ||
'Complacency kills fortune, and so does pity, fear of exertion, and inaction; the inactive man attains nothing great. Free yourself by your own effort from these vices of baseness and sin; having forged your heart to iron, seek out again what is yours. Man is called puruṣa because he withstands a stronghold; but he who lives here like a woman is called a man of empty name. The people rejoice even in the remains of a hero of mighty fortitude who walked with a lion's stride, even when he has already met his destined fate. He who, abandoning his own cherished comfort, pursues glory, soon brings joy to his counselors.'
c0dc4ee76c15 · published Jul 17, 2026, 5:59:56 AM UTC
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Vidura points to the inner enemies of achievement: complacency, self-pity, fear of effort, and inaction. The heart must become iron not for the sake of cruelty but for the ability to reclaim what is one's own and to protect those who depend on it.