Shloka 58
Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
सम्पन्न गोषु सम्भाव्यं सम्भाव॒य॑ ब्राह्मणे तप: । सम्भाव्यं॑ चापल स्त्रीषु सम्भाव्यं ज्ञातितो भसम्
sampanna goṣu sambhāvyaṃ sambhāvaya brāhmaṇe tapaḥ | sambhāvyaṃ cāpalaṃ strīṣu sambhāvyaṃ jñātito bhayam ||
Vidura berkata: “Sebagaimana susu wajar diharapkan dari sapi yang terpelihara baik, tapa dari seorang brāhmaṇa, dan kelabilan dari perempuan muda, demikian pula bahaya dan rasa takut dapat timbul bahkan dari sanak kerabat sendiri. Karena itu orang bijak tetap waspada dan tidak menanggalkan kehati-hatian hanya karena ikatan keluarga.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not assume safety merely because someone is a relative; human tendencies and political realities make harm from one’s own circle possible, so one should act with discernment and caution.
In the Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers hard-headed moral and political counsel during the tense pre-war negotiations, warning that even kinship bonds may not prevent hostility and betrayal.