Shloka 17
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 123 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa–Vidura Upadeśa to Duryodhana
Keśava-vākya aftermath
पितामहस्य द्रोणस्य विदुरस्य महामते: । कृपस्य सोमदत्तस्य बाह्लीकस्य च धीमत:ः
pitāmahasya droṇasya vidurasya mahāmateḥ | kṛpasya somadattasya bāhlīkasya ca dhīmataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “This same course appears dear and beneficial to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who is supremely discerning. O scorcher of foes, it is also most pleasing to Grandfather Bhīṣma, to Ācārya Droṇa, to the great-minded Vidura, to Kṛpa, to Somadatta, and to the wise Bāhlīka.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of counsel: decisions gain legitimacy when aligned with the considered judgment of wise elders and dharma-minded advisors, not merely personal desire or factional pressure.
Vaiśampāyana reports that a particular proposed course of action is regarded as dear and beneficial to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and is likewise pleasing to leading Kuru elders and teachers—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Vidura, Kṛpa, Somadatta, and Bāhlīka—indicating broad approval among senior authorities.