Shloka 17
कृष्णेन विदुरं प्रति आगमन-हेतु-निवेदनम् / Krishna explains the purpose of his coming to Vidura
दुर्बुद्धीनामशिष्टानां बहूनां दुष्टचेतसाम् । प्रतीपं वचनं मध्ये तव कृष्ण न रोचते
durbuddhīnām aśiṣṭānāṁ bahūnāṁ duṣṭacetasām | pratīpaṁ vacanaṁ madhye tava kṛṣṇa na rocate ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Kṛṣṇa, ich billige nicht, dass du unter sie gehst. Ihrer sind viele — von verkehrtem Urteil, ungehobelt und von böser Gesinnung. Inmitten solcher Leute scheint es mir nicht angemessen, dass du Worte sprichst, die als widrig oder herausfordernd aufgefasst werden könnten.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights prudent ethical counsel: when facing a large group driven by poor judgment and ill intent, even truthful or necessary speech can be received as hostile; therefore one should weigh context, audience, and consequences before entering such a setting or speaking sharply.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, the narrator reports a warning to Kṛṣṇa: the opposing party is numerous and morally compromised, so Kṛṣṇa’s going among them—and potentially having to speak contrary words—seems dangerous and undesirable.