Shloka 62
Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
महानप्येकजो वृक्षो बलवान् सुप्रतिष्ठित: । प्रसह एव वातेन सस्कन्धो मर्दितुं क्षणात्
mahān apy ekajo vṛkṣo balavān supratiṣṭhitaḥ | prasaha eva vātena sa-skandho mardituṃ kṣaṇāt ||
Vidura berkata—sebatang pohon yang berdiri sendirian, betapapun besar, kuat, dan berakar kokoh, dapat dihancurkan dengan paksa oleh badai dalam sekejap, beserta dahan-dahannya.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and stability are not enough if one is isolated; even the strong can be quickly ruined. Ethical and practical wisdom advises seeking support—good allies, counsel, and community—so that adversity cannot easily uproot one.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers moral-political counsel. Here he uses a vivid metaphor—an immense solitary tree felled by a storm—to warn that standing alone invites sudden destruction, implying the need for prudent association and collective strength.