Shloka 9
Adhyāya 8 — Vidura’s Return and the Kaurava Counsel (Āraṇyaka-parva)
अथवायं सुमन्दात्मा वनं गच्छतु ते सुत: । पाण्डवै: सहितो राजन्नेक एवासहायवान्,अथवा तुम्हारा यह मन्दबुद्धि पुत्र अकेला ही दूसरे किसी सहायकको लिये बिना पाण्डवोंके साथ वनमें जाय
athavāyaṁ sumandātmā vanaṁ gacchatu te sutaḥ | pāṇḍavaiḥ sahito rājann eka evāsahāyavān ||
അല്ലെങ്കിൽ, രാജാവേ, നിന്റെ ഈ മന്ദബുദ്ധിയായ പുത്രൻ പാണ്ഡവന്മാരോടൊപ്പം വനത്തിലേക്ക് പോകട്ടെ—ഒറ്റയ്ക്കായി, യാതൊരു സഹായവുമില്ലാതെ.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sound counsel to a ruler: do not let misguided attachment or poor judgment create wider harm. If a foolish prince insists on joining the exiled Pāṇḍavas, he should go without entourage—so responsibility remains personal, and hardship may reform character.
Vyāsa addresses the king and proposes an alternative course: the king’s dull-minded son may accompany the Pāṇḍavas to the forest, but he should go alone, without helpers—framing exile as both a test and a restraint on further trouble.