Shloka 22
Hiḍimbā’s Account and the Bhīma–Hiḍimba Engagement (आदि पर्व, अध्याय १४२)
क्षत्तार्थबद्धस्त्वस्माकं प्रच्छन्न॑ संयत: परै: । न चैक: स समर्थोडस्मान् पाण्डवार्थेडधिबाधितुम्,विदुर भी हमारे आर्थिक बन्धनमें हैं, यद्यपि वे छिपे-छिपे हमारे शत्रुओंके स्नेहपाशमें बँधे हैं। परंतु वे अकेले पाण्डवोंके हितके लिये हमें बाधा पहुँचानेमें समर्थ न हो सकेंगे
kṣattārthabaddhas tv asmākaṃ pracchannaṃ saṃyataḥ paraiḥ | na caikaḥ sa samartho ’smān pāṇḍavārthe ’dhibādhitum ||
Duryodhana dijo: «Vidura está ligado a nosotros por su dependencia material, aunque en secreto lo retiene el afecto hacia nuestros enemigos. Sin embargo, siendo un solo hombre, no será capaz de estorbarnos por el bien de los Pāṇḍavas».
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-political blindness: Duryodhana reduces integrity to economic dependence and underestimates the power of righteous counsel. It points to the ethical danger of treating dharmic advisors as controllable through wealth and assuming that truth has no force unless backed by numbers.
Duryodhana assesses Vidura’s position at court, claiming Vidura is financially tied to the Kauravas but emotionally aligned with the Pāṇḍavas. He concludes that Vidura alone cannot effectively block Kaurava plans made in the Pāṇḍavas’ interest.