Shloka 18
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय 33: धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर संवादः (विदुरनीतिः)
पुष्पं पुष्पं विचिन्वीत मूलच्छेदं॑ न कारयेत् । मालाकार इवारामे न यथाड्रारकारक:
puṣpaṁ puṣpaṁ vicinvīta mūlacchedaṁ na kārayet | mālākāra ivārāme na yathāṅgārakārakaḥ ||
Seperti tukang kebun di taman memetik bunga satu demi satu tanpa memotong akarnya, demikian pula raja hendaknya memungut pajak sambil melindungi rakyat—jangan seperti pembuat arang yang menebang sampai ke akar.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king should collect revenue gradually and protectively, preserving the people—the source of the kingdom’s strength—rather than exploiting them in a way that destroys their livelihood and future productivity.
In Vidura’s counsel on statecraft and dharma, he uses a vivid analogy: the good ruler is like a gardener who plucks flowers without harming the plant, not like a charcoal-maker who cuts the tree down at the root for short-term benefit.