Shloka 4
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 123 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa–Vidura Upadeśa to Duryodhana
Keśava-vākya aftermath
न शृणोति महाबाहो वचन साधुभाषितम्,“महाबाहु हृषीकेश! यह सत्पुरुषोंकी कही हुई बातें नहीं सुनता है। गान्धारी, बुद्धिमान् विदुर तथा हित चाहनेवाले भीष्म आदि अन्यान्य सुहृदोंकी भी बातें नहीं सुनता है
na śṛṇoti mahābāho vacanaṃ sādhubhāṣitam
Vaiśampāyana said: “O mighty-armed one, he does not listen to counsel that is well-spoken by the virtuous.” In ethical and narrative context, this signals a willful rejection of dharmic advice—an obstinacy that ignores the guidance of the wise and well-wishers, and thereby hastens conflict and ruin.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A central ethical warning: refusing to listen to virtuous, well-intentioned counsel is a mark of adharma and leads to destructive outcomes. Wisdom is not only knowing what is right, but being willing to hear it—especially from the good.
Vaiśampāyana characterizes a key figure (implied by context) as obstinate—someone who will not heed the words of the virtuous. This frames the unfolding crisis in the Udyoga Parva, where attempts at guidance and reconciliation are repeatedly rejected.