Shloka 43
Droṇa–Vidura–Gāndhārī Counsel in the Royal Assembly (धर्मार्थयुक्ता सभा-उपदेश-प्रकरणम्)
श्रोतव्यं खलु वृद्धानां नाभिशड्कीर्वचो मम । नाशयिष्यसि मा सर्वमात्मानं पृथिवीं तथा
śrotavyaṃ khalu vṛddhānāṃ nābhiśaṅkīr vaco mama | nāśayiṣyasi mā sarvam ātmānaṃ pṛthivīṃ tathā ||
Wahrlich, man muss auf den Rat der Ältesten hören. Zweifelt nicht an meinen Worten; sonst werdet ihr Verderben über alles bringen—über euch selbst, über alle um euch her und sogar über diese Erde.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Respect for dharmic counsel: a ruler should heed experienced elders and avoid suspicious doubt toward well-meant advice, because rejecting such guidance leads to self-destruction and wider social ruin.
Bhīṣma, speaking as an elder statesman, warns the addressee (in this context, the Kuru leadership) to accept his counsel without mistrust; he frames the stakes as catastrophic—personal downfall and the devastation of the whole realm/world.