Shloka 4
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय 33: धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर संवादः (विदुरनीतिः)
विदुर उवाच शुभं वा यदि वा पापं द्वेष्यं वा यदि वा प्रियम् । अपृष्टस्तस्य तद् ब्रूयाद् यस्य नेच्छेत् पराभवम्
vidura uvāca śubhaṃ vā yadi vā pāpaṃ dveṣyaṃ vā yadi vā priyam | apṛṣṭas tasya tad brūyād yasya necchet parābhavam ||
Vidura berkata: “Wahai Raja, entah perkara itu baik atau berdosa, entah tidak enak didengar atau menyenangkan—kepada orang yang kejatuhannya tidak kita kehendaki, hendaknya hal itu disampaikan bahkan tanpa diminta.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
If you genuinely seek someone’s welfare, you should offer timely counsel even without being asked—whether it is pleasant or unpleasant—so as to prevent their moral or practical downfall.
In the Udyoga Parva, Vidura is advising the king (implicitly Dhṛtarāṣṭra) on righteous conduct and prudent governance, emphasizing the duty of well-wishers to warn and guide before disaster occurs.