Shloka 85
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
राजन भूयो ब्रवीमि त्वां पुत्रेषु सममाचर । समता यदि ते राजनू् स्वेषु पाण्डुसुतेषु वा,राजन! मैं फिर कहता हूँ, यदि आपका अपने पुत्रों और पाण्डवोंमें समानभाव है तो उन सभी पुत्रोंके साथ एक-सा बर्ताव कीजिये
rājan bhūyo bravīmi tvāṁ putreṣu samam ācara | samatā yadi te rājan sveṣu pāṇḍusuteṣu vā ||
O King, I say again: conduct yourself with equal fairness toward your sons. If you truly claim impartiality—whether toward your own children or toward the sons of Pāṇḍu—then let your dealings with all of them be the same. Vidura presses the ethical demand that a ruler’s professed neutrality must be proven through just and consistent action, not partial affection.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must match words with deeds: if he claims impartiality between his own sons and the Pāṇḍavas, he must actually treat them equally in policy, judgment, and conduct. Ethical governance requires consistent fairness, not selective affection.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, Vidura counsels Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He urges the king to abandon partiality toward the Kauravas and to act with equal justice toward both sides, warning implicitly that biased conduct will fuel conflict.