Shloka 38
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय 33: धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर संवादः (विदुरनीतिः)
पर्जन्यनाथा: पशवो राजानो मन्त्रिबान्धवा: | पतयो बान्धवा: स्त्रीणां ब्राह्मणा वेदबान्धवा:,पशुओंके रक्षक या स्वामी हैं बादल, राजाओंके सहायक हैं मन्त्री, स्त्रियोंके बन्धु (रक्षक) हैं पति और ब्राह्मणोंके बान्धव हैं वेद
parjanyanāthāḥ paśavo rājāno mantribāndhavāḥ | patayo bāndhavāḥ strīṇāṃ brāhmaṇā vedabāndhavāḥ ||
Vidura teaches by analogy that every being or social group has a proper support and protector: cattle depend on rain, kings are upheld by their ministers, women are safeguarded by their husbands, and brahmins are sustained by the Vedas. The ethical point is that dharma is preserved when each relies on its rightful foundation and when those supports faithfully discharge their duty.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma functions through rightful supports: as rain sustains cattle, wise ministers sustain kings, husbands protect the household order, and the Vedas sustain brahmins. When these supports fail—or are ignored—social and moral order weakens.
Vidura is offering moral-political counsel in the Udyoga Parva, using compact analogies to remind the listener that rulers and social groups must rely on proper guidance and foundational duties, especially in a time of escalating conflict.