Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
सम्पन्न गोषु सम्भाव्यं सम्भाव॒य॑ ब्राह्मणे तप: । सम्भाव्यं॑ चापल स्त्रीषु सम्भाव्यं ज्ञातितो भसम्
sampanna goṣu sambhāvyaṃ sambhāvaya brāhmaṇe tapaḥ | sambhāvyaṃ cāpalaṃ strīṣu sambhāvyaṃ jñātito bhayam ||
Vidura sagt: „Wie man von gut gepflegten Kühen von Natur aus Milch erwartet, von einem Brāhmaṇa Askese und von jungen Frauen Wandelbarkeit, so ist auch zu erwarten, dass Gefahr und Furcht selbst von den eigenen Verwandten ausgehen können. Darum bleiben die Weisen wachsam und geben die Vorsicht nicht bloß um der Familienbande willen preis.“
विदुर उवाच
Do not assume safety merely because someone is a relative; human tendencies and political realities make harm from one’s own circle possible, so one should act with discernment and caution.
In the Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers hard-headed moral and political counsel during the tense pre-war negotiations, warning that even kinship bonds may not prevent hostility and betrayal.