Shloka 28
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34 — Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship
प्रह्माद उवाच पुत्र एको मम ब्रह्म॑ंस्त्वं च साक्षादिहास्थित: । तयोर्विवदतो: प्रश्न कथमस्मद्विधो वदेत्
Prahmāda uvāca: putra eko mama brahman tvaṁ ca sākṣād ihāsthitaḥ | tayor vivadatoḥ praśna katham asmad-vidho vadet ||
ಪ್ರಹ್ಲಾದನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಮಗನೇ! ಒಂದು ಕಡೆ ನನ್ನ ಸ್ವಂತ ಪುತ್ರನಿದ್ದಾನೆ; ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಕಡೆ ನೀನು ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನಾಗಿ ಸ್ವತಃ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮ್ಮುಖವಾಗಿ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದೀಯ. ಇವರಿಬ್ಬರ ನಡುವೆ ವಾದ ಉಂಟಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಎದ್ದಾಗ, ನನ್ನಂತಹವನು ಹೇಗೆ ಉತ್ತರ ಹೇಳಲಿ?
प्रह्माद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical restraint and humility: when higher authorities or revered figures are in dispute, a person of lesser standing should be cautious about asserting an opinion, recognizing limits of competence and the weight of competing loyalties.
Prahmāda addresses someone as “son” and points out that two authoritative presences—his own revered Brahman and the person addressed, who is present directly—are at odds. Faced with their dispute, he questions how someone like himself can appropriately answer the contested question.