Shloka 59
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
क्षमेदशक्त: सर्वस्य शक्तिमान् धर्मकारणात् | अर्थानर्थों समौ यस्य तस्य नित्यं क्षमा हिता
kṣamed aśaktaḥ sarvasya śaktimān dharmakāraṇāt | arthānarthau samau yasya tasya nityaṃ kṣamā hitā ||
Vidura lehrt, dass Vergebung in jeder Lebenslage heilsam ist: Der Machtlose muss von Natur aus erdulden und allen vergeben; doch auch der Mächtige soll um des Dharma willen die Vergebung wählen. Für den, dessen Blick ausgeglichen ist—der Gewinn und Verlust, Vorteil und Schaden als gleich ansieht—ist Vergebung stets wohltuend und dem Guten zuträglich.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Forgiveness (kṣamā) is universally beneficial: the weak may forgive out of necessity, but the strong should forgive deliberately for the sake of dharma; the truly wise, seeing gain and harm as equal, find forgiveness always salutary.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura is offering moral and political counsel in the tense lead-up to war, urging a dharmic response—restraint and forgiveness—rather than retaliation, even when one has the power to punish.