Shloka 48
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
एक: क्षमावतां दोषो द्वितीयो नोपपद्यते | यदेनं क्षमया युक्तमशक्तं मन्न्यते जन:
ekaḥ kṣamāvatāṃ doṣo dvitīyo nopapadyate | yad enaṃ kṣamayā yuktam aśaktaṃ manyate janaḥ ||
Vidura said: “Among those who are patient and forgiving, there is one fault—there is no second like it: when a person is endowed with forbearance, people take him to be weak. Thus, the very virtue of forgiveness is often misread by the world as lack of strength.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Forgiveness is a high virtue, but it carries a social risk: the world may mistake restraint and forbearance for weakness. Vidura highlights the need to pair kṣamā with discernment and appropriate firmness so that dharmic patience is not exploited or misunderstood.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers ethical and political counsel during the tense pre-war negotiations. Here he reflects on a practical dilemma of righteous conduct: even when one acts with noble forbearance, public opinion may interpret it as incapacity, affecting how others respond in conflict and diplomacy.