Shloka 29
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वंशोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Dynastic Counsel on Legitimate Rule
ये पार्थिवा राजसभां प्रविष्टा ब्रह्मर्षयो ये च सभासदो<न्ये । शृण्वन्तु वक्ष्यामि तवापराध॑ पापस्य सामात्यपरिच्छदस्य
ye pārthivā rājasabhāṃ praviṣṭā brahmarṣayo ye ca sabhāsado 'nye | śṛṇvantu vakṣyāmi tavāparādhaṃ pāpasya sāmātyaparicchadasya ||
Vidura se dirige a la corte reunida: «Que escuchen todos los reyes que han entrado en esta sala real, los brahmarishis y los demás miembros de la asamblea. Declararé vuestra falta—la tuya, oh Duryodhana pecador—junto con la de tus ministros y servidores». El verso enmarca una acusación moral pública: la culpa no es privada cuando pone en peligro al reino, y la complicidad alcanza a quienes sostienen la injusticia.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wrongdoing by a ruler must be publicly named when it threatens dharma and the polity; responsibility spreads beyond the principal offender to ministers and attendants who support or conceal the offence.
In the Kuru court, Vidura calls upon all present—kings, sages, and courtiers—to listen as he prepares to enumerate Duryodhana’s transgressions, explicitly including the culpability of his ministerial circle and retinue.