प्राप्नोति वै वित्तम् असद्बलेन; नित्योत्थानात् प्रज्ञया पौरुषेण ॥
न त्व् एव सम्यग् लभते प्रशंसां; न वृत्तम् आप्नोति महाकुलानाम् ॥
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
महाकुलानां स्पृहयन्ति देवा; धर्मार्थवृद्धाश् च बहुश्रुताश् च ॥
पृच्छामि त्वां विदुर प्रश्नम् एतं; भवन्ति वै कानि महाकुलानि ॥
विदुर उवाच
तपो दमो ब्रह्मवित् त्वं वितानाः; पुण्या विवाहाः सततान्नदानम् ॥
येष्व् एवैते सप्त गुणा भवन्ति; सम्यग् वृत्तास् तानि महाकुलानि ॥
येषां न वृत्तं व्यथते न योनिर्; वृत्तप्रसादेन चरन्ति धर्मम् ॥
ये कीर्तिम् इच्छन्ति कुले विशिष्टां; त्यक्तानृतास् तानि महाकुलानि ॥
अनिज्ययाविवाहैश् च वेदस्योत्सादनेन च ॥
कुलान्य् अकुलतां यान्ति धर्मस्यातिक्रमेण च ॥
prāpnoti vai vittam asadbalena; nityotthānāt prajñayā pauruṣeṇa ||
na tv eva samyag labhate praśaṃsāṃ; na vṛttam āpnoti mahākulānām ||
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
mahākulānāṃ spṛhayanti devā; dharmārthavṛddhāś ca bahuśrutāś ca ||
pṛcchāmi tvāṃ vidura praśnam etaṃ; bhavanti vai kāni mahākulāni ||
vidura uvāca
tapo damo brahmavit tvaṃ vitānāḥ; puṇyā vivāhāḥ satatānnadānam ||
yeṣv evaite sapta guṇā bhavanti; samyag vṛttās tāni mahākulāni ||
yeṣāṃ na vṛttaṃ vyathate na yonir; vṛttaprasādena caranti dharmam ||
ye kīrtim icchanti kule viśiṣṭāṃ; tyaktānṛtās tāni mahākulāni ||
anijyayāvivāhaiś ca vedasyotsādanena ca ||
kulāny akulatāṃ yānti dharmasyātikrameṇa ca ||
He who desires his own prosperity should place his hope in good men, and sometimes even in indifferent ones, but never in the wicked. It is true that a wicked man may amass wealth by his own strength, through ceaseless effort, intelligence, and prowess, but he can never win honest fame nor acquire the virtues and manners of the noble families (into any of which he might be born)." Dhritarashtra said: "I ask you this question, O Vidura: what are these families that are called high?" Vidura said: "Asceticism, self-restraint, knowledge of the Vedas, sacrifices, pure marriages, and the giving of food — those families in which these seven qualities exist and are duly observed are considered high. There are noble families that never deviate from the right course, whose departed ancestors never suffer (by witnessing the misdeeds of their descendants), who gladly practice every virtue, who desire to increase the pure fame of the line in which they were born, and who shun all falsehood."
d21ec1bc5610 · प्रकाशित 17 जुल॰ 2026, 4:02:44 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
This passage (5.36.21-25) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort for peace is already underway against the backdrop of an unavoidable war. Key themes: Dhritarashtra, Vidura, dharma. Here dharma reveals itself through speech, the choice of an embassy, faithfulness to one's word, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.