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 ||
Satu anak panah yang dilepaskan pemanah mahir bisa membunuh satu orang—atau bahkan tak mengenai siapa pun. Namun kecerdasan/nasihat yang digerakkan oleh orang sungguh bijaksana dapat membinasakan seluruh kerajaan beserta rajanya.
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.