When one has to reach a lofty state, one can do it step by step, slowly rising to the top. Vidura, in his advice to Dhritarashtra, showed us the steps to wisdom, Kidambi Narayanan said in a discourse. The first step to wisdom is to realise that wrong advice can ruin us. The beginning of wisdom is also to realise that forgiveness holds the key to mental peace. It is true that the world tends to see a forgiving man as a coward, but that should not deter us from forgiving those who hurt us. Patience is a virtue in the weak man and an ornament in the strong man. One should never forsake someone seeking his protection.
A ruler should never consult these four categories of people: a flatterer; an unintelligent person; a procrastinator; and a lazy person. One should worship one's parents and one's preceptor. If one yields to the temptations of even one of his five senses, he loses his intelligence. Suspicious, spiteful, discontented people are always miserable. A person who gambles squanders his wealth, or is rude in speech is bound to be destroyed. A person who has good friends, a person who has acquired wealth through fair means, a man who resides with his son, a man who is cared for by his wife, a man who has earned the respect of the public, a man who thinks only of that which is worthy of being thought of — such a man experiences joy forever. One who understands that the body is governed by the soul may be said to have acquired gnana.
The following are people who have no gnana, and so their company must be avoided: one who is hasty, prone to anger; one who is greedy; one who is careless; one who is cowardly; and one who is miserly. A person filled with gnana never commits an unjust deed, even when he is distressed; he analyses every situation and makes his decisions after much thought. A wise man avoids overeating and shares what food is available with those dependent on him. He gives even to his enemies, if they seek his help. But Dhritarashtra had been unjust to his own brother's children, and that was the cause for his unhappiness. Vidura's advice to Dhritarashtra, though it was given in the context of the Kaurava-Pandava enmity, has relevance even today.
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