Shloka 58
Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
सम्पन्न गोषु सम्भाव्यं सम्भाव॒य॑ ब्राह्मणे तप: । सम्भाव्यं॑ चापल स्त्रीषु सम्भाव्यं ज्ञातितो भसम्,जैसे गौओंमें दूध, ब्राह्मणमें तप और युवती स्त्रियोंमें चंचलताका होना अधिक सम्भाव है, उसी प्रकार अपने जाति-बन्धुओंसे भय होना भी सम्भव ही है
sampanna goṣu sambhāvyaṃ sambhāvaya brāhmaṇe tapaḥ | sambhāvyaṃ cāpalaṃ strīṣu sambhāvyaṃ jñātito bhayam ||
Vidura says: “Just as milk is naturally to be expected in well-kept cows, austerity in a brāhmaṇa, and fickleness in young women, so too it is only to be expected that danger and fear may arise even from one’s own kinsmen. The wise therefore remain vigilant and do not abandon prudence merely because of family ties.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not assume safety merely because someone is a relative; human tendencies and political realities make harm from one’s own circle possible, so one should act with discernment and caution.
In the Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers hard-headed moral and political counsel during the tense pre-war negotiations, warning that even kinship bonds may not prevent hostility and betrayal.