Shloka 60
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
विदुरजी बोले--इस सभामें पधारे हुए भूपालगण! ट्रुपदकुमारी कृष्णा यहाँ अपना प्रश्न उपस्थित करके इस तरह अनाथकी भाँति रो रही है; परंतु आपलोग उसका विवेचन नहीं करते, अतः यहाँ धर्मकी हानि हो रही है ।। सभां प्रपद्यते हार्त: प्रज्वलन्निव हव्यवाट् । त॑ वै सत्येन धर्मेण सभ्या: प्रशमयन्त्युत
vidura uvāca—sabhyāḥ, draupadī kṛṣṇā iha svapraśnaṃ nidhāya anāthavat krandati; yūyaṃ tu tasya vicāraṇaṃ na kurutha, ataḥ sabhāyāṃ dharmakṣayaḥ. sabhāṃ prapadyate hārtaḥ prajvalann iva havyavāṭ | taṃ vai satyena dharmeṇa sabhyāḥ praśamayanty uta ||
Dijo Vidura: “¡Oh ancianos de la asamblea y reyes congregados! Aquí Draupadī, Kṛṣṇā, hija de Drupada, ha puesto su pregunta ante vosotros y llora como quien no tiene amparo; pero no deliberáis sobre ello. Por eso, en esta misma corte, el dharma se ve menguado. Quien está herido y angustiado acude a la asamblea como un fuego sacrificial que arde con fuerza; corresponde a los miembros del tribunal apaciguar y resolver ese dolor mediante la verdad y la rectitud.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A royal assembly exists to uphold dharma: when a wronged person seeks judgment, the courtiers must respond with satya (truth) and dharma (righteous justice). Silence or evasion in the face of injustice itself becomes a loss of dharma.
In the Kaurava court, Draupadī has posed a decisive legal-ethical question and is crying as if unprotected. Vidura rebukes the assembled kings and elders for not examining her question, warning that their inaction is causing dharma to decline in the very sabhā meant to safeguard it.