Shloka 29
अध्याय ३९: विदुरेण धृतराष्ट्राय नीत्युपदेशः
Timely Counsel, Association, and Kin-Duty
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्यैष धर्मस्तवोक्तो हेतुं चानुब्रुवतो मे निबोध । क्षात्राद् धर्माद्धीयते पाण्डुपुत्र- स्तं त्वं राजन् राजधर्मे नियुड्धक्ष्य,महाराज! आपसे यह मैंने चारों वर्णोका धर्म बताया है; इसे बतानेका कारण भी सुनिये। आपके कारण पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिर क्षत्रियधर्मसे गिर रहे हैं, अत: आप उन्हें पुनः राजधर्ममें नियुक्त कीजिये
cāturvarṇyasya eṣa dharmas tavokto hetuṃ cānubruvato me nibodha | kṣātrād dharmād dhīyate pāṇḍuputras taṃ tvaṃ rājan rājadharme niyuṅkṣva ||
Vidura sprach: „So habe ich dir die Dharma der vier Stände dargelegt; erkenne nun auch den Grund, weshalb ich rede. Deinetwegen gleitet der Sohn Pāṇḍus—Yudhiṣṭhira—vom rechten kṣatriyischen Gesetz ab. Darum, o König, führe ihn zurück zu den Pflichten des Königtums und zum königlichen Recht.“
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler is responsible for upholding and restoring dharma: if a rightful king is being pushed away from his proper royal duty, the reigning authority must correct the situation and re-establish him in rajadharma rather than enabling moral and political collapse.
In the Udyoga Parva, Vidura counsels King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He explains that his earlier discussion of the four-varṇa duties has a purpose: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s conduct is causing Yudhiṣṭhira to be deprived of his rightful kṣatriya role, so Vidura urges the king to reinstate Yudhiṣṭhira in kingship and proper royal governance.