Shloka 2
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
विदुर उवाच अप्राप्तकालं वचन बृहस्पतिरपि ब्रुवन् । लभते बुद्धयवज्ञानमवमानं च भारत,विदुरजी बोले--भारत! समयके विपरीत यदि बृहस्पति भी कुछ बोलें तो उनका अपमान ही होगा और उनकी बुद्धिकी भी अवज्ञा ही होगी
vidura uvāca aprāptakālaṃ vacanaṃ bṛhaspatir api bruvan | labhate buddhāv ajñānam avamānaṃ ca bhārata ||
Vidura said: O Bhārata, if words are spoken at an inopportune time, even Bṛhaspati himself—though speaking—would meet only with disregard for his counsel and with insult. Such is the power of timing: wisdom offered without the right occasion is treated as folly and invites contempt.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the wisest counsel fails if delivered at the wrong time; timing (kāla) governs receptivity. Untimely speech is not merely ignored—it can be mistaken for ignorance and provoke insult.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura is offering political-ethical counsel in a tense pre-war setting. He warns that when the listener is not ready or the moment is unsuitable, even authoritative guidance (symbolized by Bṛhaspati) will be rejected and dishonored.