Shloka 15
अध्याय ६४ — सभामध्ये क्रोध-निवारणम्
Restraint of wrath in the royal assembly
अतः प्रियं चेदनुकाड्क्षसे त्वं सर्वेषु कार्येषु हिताहितेषु । स्त्रियश्ष राजन् जडपडजुकांश्व पृच्छ त्वं वै तादृशांश्वैव सर्वान्,राजन! यदि तुम भले-बुरे सभी कार्योमें केवल चिकनी-चुपड़ी बातें ही सुनना चाहते हो, तो स्त्रियों, मूर्खों, पंगुओं तथा उसी तरहके अन्य सब मनुष्योंसे सलाह लिया करो
ataḥ priyaṁ ced anukāṅkṣase tvaṁ sarveṣu kāryeṣu hitāhitēṣu | striyaś ca rājan jaḍapaṅgubālān pṛccha tvaṁ vai tādṛśāṁś caiva sarvān ||
রাজন! যদি তুমি হিত-অহিত সকল কাজে কেবল শ্রুতিমধুর কথাই শুনতে চাও, তবে নারীদের, জড়বুদ্ধিদের, পঙ্গুদের এবং সেইরূপ অন্যান্য সকলের কাছেই পরামর্শ গ্রহণ করো।
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should not seek merely pleasing words; wise governance requires hearing truthful counsel about what is truly beneficial (hita), even when it is unpleasant. Flattery is a sign of poor advisers and leads to harmful decisions.
Vidura is admonishing the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) during his counsel in the Sabha Parva, warning him that if he only wants agreeable talk in matters of right and wrong, he will end up consulting unfit advisers—those likely to echo what he wishes to hear rather than what is right.