Shloka 43
Adhyaya 32: Saṃjaya’s Return, Audience with Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Ethical Admonition
एकं हन्यान्न वा हन्यादिषुर्मुक्तो धनुष्मता । बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतोत्सृष्टा हन्याद् राष्ट्र सराजकम्
ekaṁ hanyān na vā hanyādiṣur mukto dhanuṣmatā | buddhir buddhimatotsṛṣṭā hanyād rāṣṭraṁ sa-rājakam ||
Dice Vidura: Una sola flecha, soltada por un arquero diestro, puede matar a un hombre—o puede no matar a nadie. Pero el consejo, la inteligencia puesta en marcha por un verdadero sabio, puede destruir un reino entero junto con su rey.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Physical weapons have limited reach, but counsel and intelligence—especially when used wrongly—can reshape events and ruin an entire polity. Therefore, advice and policy must be guided by dharma, foresight, and restraint.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Vidura offers moral and political counsel. Here he contrasts the limited harm of an arrow with the far-reaching power of strategic advice, warning the court about the destructive potential of misguided decisions.