Shloka 13
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 64: Arjuna’s Instruction to Sanjaya
Message to the Kuru Assembly
एते हापि यथैवाहं मन्तुमरहसि तांस्तथा । सर्वे धर्मविदो होते तुल्यस्नेहाश्व भारत
ete hāpi yathaivāhaṃ mantum arhasi tāṃs tathā | sarve dharmavido hote tulyasnehāś ca bhārata ||
भरतनंदना, जसा तू मला मान देतोस तसाच यांनाही मान दे. हे सर्व धर्मज्ञ आहेत आणि दोन्ही पक्षांवर समान स्नेह ठेवतात.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura urges the king to respect and heed impartial, dharma-grounded elders. Ethical judgment should rely on counselors who seek the welfare of all parties, not on partisan passion.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, Vidura addresses the Kuru king, emphasizing that several senior figures—Droṇa, Kṛpa, Vikarṇa, and Bāhlīka—are genuine well-wishers and should be honored and listened to as balanced advisers amid escalating conflict.