Shloka 37
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय 33: धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर संवादः (विदुरनीतिः)
एतयोपमया धीर: संनमेत बलीयसे । इन्द्राय स प्रणमते नमते यो बलीयसे
etayopamayā dhīraḥ saṃnamet balīyase | indrāya sa praṇamate namate yo balīyase ||
Dengan perumpamaan ini, orang bijak hendaknya menunduk kepada yang lebih kuat; sebab siapa yang merendah di hadapan yang lebih berkuasa, seakan-akan ia memberi hormat kepada Indra.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A prudent person should not let ego provoke ruin; when faced with a clearly stronger power, respectful submission is wise and dharmic, preserving life and order. Such humility is portrayed as reverence to Indra, the archetype of supreme authority.
Vidura is instructing on practical dharma and political wisdom in the tense pre-war setting of the Udyoga Parva, using an analogy to argue that yielding to superior strength can be the wiser course than escalating confrontation.