Shloka 32
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वंशोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Dynastic Counsel on Legitimate Rule
राजा च क्षत्ता च महानुभावौ भीष्मे स्थिते परवन्तौ भवेताम् | अयं तु धर्मज्ञतया महात्मा न कामयेद् यो नृवरो नदीज:
rājā ca kṣattā ca mahānubhāvau bhīṣme sthite paravantau bhavetām | ayaṃ tu dharmajñatayā mahātmā na kāmayed yo nṛvaro nadījaḥ ||
ວິດູຣະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຕາບໃດທີ່ ພີສະມະ ຍັງມີຊີວິດ ທັງກະສັດ (ທໍຣິຕະຣາສະຕຣະ) ແລະ ຂັດຕາ (ວິດູຣະ) ແມ່ນແມ່ນຜູ້ມີກຽດສັກສີຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ ກໍຈະຍັງຕ້ອງພຶ່ງພາທ່ານ—ບໍ່ມີທາງອັນຊອບທໍາໃດໃນການຮັບອໍານາດກະສັດໃນຂະນະທີ່ທ່ານຍັງຢູ່. ແຕ່ຜູ້ປະເສີດນັ້ນ—ມະຫາວິນຍານ ບຸດແຫ່ງແມ່ນ້ໍາ (ຄື ບຸດຂອງຄົງຄາ)—ເນື່ອງຈາກຮູ້ທັນທໍາ ຈຶ່ງບໍ່ແມ່ນແຕ່ບໍ່ປາຖະໜາຈະຄອງລາຊະອານາຈັກ»
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate authority is not merely a matter of power but of dharma and rightful order: while Bhīṣma lives, others remain constrained by his seniority and standing; yet Bhīṣma’s own dharma-knowledge expresses itself as restraint—he does not covet kingship.
Vidura is characterizing the political reality at Hastināpura: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Vidura, despite their eminence, remain effectively under Bhīṣma’s overriding authority. He then highlights Bhīṣma’s ethical stature—though capable, he does not wish to seize rule.