Shloka 3
Tilottamā, Sunda–Upasunda, and the Pāṇḍava Samaya (Ādi Parva 204)
तथा द्रोणेन बहुधा भाषितं हितमुत्तमम् । तच्च राधासुत: कर्णो मनन््यते न हित॑ तव,राजन! कुरुश्रेष्ठ शंतनुनन्दन भीष्मने आपसे प्रिय और हितकी बात कही है; परंतु आप उसे ग्रहण नहीं कर रहे हैं। इसी प्रकार आचार्य द्रोणने अनेक प्रकारसे आपके लिये उत्तम हितकी बात बतायी है; किंतु राधानन्दन कर्ण उसे आपके लिये हितकर नहीं मानते
tathā droṇena bahudhā bhāṣitaṃ hitam uttamam | tac ca rādhāsutaḥ karṇo manyate na hitaṃ tava, rājan |
Vidura says: “Likewise, Droṇa has spoken to you in many ways—excellent counsel meant for your welfare. Yet Karṇa, the son of Rādhā, does not regard that counsel as beneficial for you, O king.” The ethical thrust is a warning that a ruler’s good is undermined when wise advice is rejected and when close allies redefine ‘benefit’ according to pride, rivalry, or factional interest rather than dharma and long-term stability.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s welfare depends on accepting genuinely beneficial counsel (hita), especially from elders and teachers. When advisors or allies dismiss such counsel as ‘not beneficial’ due to bias or ambition, the king is led away from dharma and toward ruin.
Vidura is admonishing the king that respected figures like Droṇa have repeatedly offered excellent advice for his good, but that advice is being discounted—particularly under the influence of Karṇa—so the king is not taking the path that would avert conflict and moral decline.