Shloka 16
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34 — Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship
युधन्वोवाच पितापुत्रौ सहासीतां द्वौ विप्रौ क्षत्रियावपि । वृद्धौ वैश्यौ च शूद्रौ च न त्वन्यावितरेतरम्
sudhanvovāca—virocana! pitāputrau sahāsītāṃ dvau viprau kṣatriyāv api | vṛddhau vaiśyau ca śūdrau ca na tv anyāv itaretaram ||
ສຸດຫັນວາ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ວິໂຣຈະນະ! ພໍ່ແລະລູກອາດນັ່ງຮ່ວມອາສນະດຽວກັນໄດ້. ເຊັ່ນດຽວກັນ ພຣາຫມັນສອງຄົນ, ກະສັດຕຣິຍະສອງຄົນ, ຜູ້ເຖົ້າສອງຄົນ, ໄວສະຍະສອງຄົນ, ແລະ ຊູດຣະສອງຄົນ ກໍນັ່ງຮ່ວມກັນໄດ້. ແຕ່ນອກເໜືອຈາກນີ້ ບໍ່ຄວນໃຫ້ຄົນສອງຄົນອື່ນນັ່ງຮ່ວມກັນດ້ວຍຄວາມເທົ່າທຽມ»។
विरोचन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse states a rule of social propriety: shared seating signifies equality, so it is permitted only among certain paired relations (father–son) or within the same social category (two of the same varna) or among elders; otherwise, sitting together as equals is discouraged to preserve recognized social hierarchy.
In a didactic exchange addressed to Virocana, Sudhanvan lays down a norm of conduct about who may share the same seat, using it as a concrete marker of status, respect, and social boundaries within dharma-discourse.