Shloka 14
विदुरस्य कृष्णं प्रति शमोपदेशः
Vidura’s Counsel to Krishna on the Limits of Peace
उभयोश्वाददा: साहामुभयोश्व हिते रत:
ubhayor dadāḥ sahāyam ubhayor hitе rataḥ | āpanne tau dvau pakṣau hi sahāyyaṁ te kṛtaṁ vibho || mādhava dhṛtarāṣṭrasya priyaḥ sambandhī cāsi vai | cakra-gadā-dhara govinda dharmārthau te yathārthataḥ || atha me ’tithyam ādatte na kathaṁ hetur atra te | etad icchāmi śrotuṁ vai ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ເຈົ້າໄດ້ຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອທັງສອງຝ່າຍ ແລະມຸ່ງໝັ້ນຕໍ່ປະໂຫຍດຂອງທັງສອງ. ເມື່ອສອງຝ່າຍນີ້ເກີດຂັດແຍ່ງ ເຈົ້າກໍໄດ້ໜຸນຊ່ວຍພວກເຂົາ. ໂອ ມາທະວະ, ເຈົ້າຍັງເປັນຍາດສະນິດທີ່ພຣະຣາຊາ ທຣິຕະຣາສະຕຣະ ຮັກໃຄ່. ໂອ ໂກວິນດະ ຜູ້ຖືຈັກຣະ ແລະ ຄະທາ, ເຈົ້າຮູ້ແຈ້ງຢ່າງຄົບຖ້ວນ ແລະຖືກຕ້ອງ ເຖິງ ທັມມະ ແລະ ອັດຖະ. ເປັນຫຍັງຈຶ່ງປະຕິເສດບໍ່ຮັບການຕ້ອນຮັບຂອງຂ້ອຍ? ຂ້ອຍປາຖະໜາຈະຟັງເຫດນັ້ນ».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical statesmanship: one who truly knows dharma and artha can act for the welfare of all parties, yet must also explain choices that appear to violate social duties like accepting hospitality. It frames Kṛṣṇa as impartial and principled, accountable to moral reasoning rather than mere factional loyalty.
Vaiśampāyana narrates a moment where Kṛṣṇa is addressed as having aided both factions in the Kuru dispute and being dear to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. The speaker questions why Kṛṣṇa declines the offered hospitality and asks him to state the reason—setting up a diplomatic-ethical explanation in the lead-up to war.