Shloka 39
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34 — Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship
विदुर उवाच तस्माद् राजेन्द्र भूम्यर्थे नानृतं वक्तुमहसि । मा गम: ससुतामात्यो नाशं पुत्रार्थमब्रुवन्,विदुरजी कहते हैं--इसलिये राजेन्द्र! आप पृथ्वीके लिये झूठ न बोलें। बेटेके स्वार्थथश सच्ची बात न कहकर पुत्र और मन्त्रियोंके साथ विनाशके मुखमें न जायेँ
vidura uvāca tasmād rājendra bhūmyarthe nānṛtaṃ vaktum arhasi | mā gamaḥ sa-sutāmātyo nāśaṃ putrārtham abruvan |
Vidura berkata: “O raja yang terbaik, maka janganlah tuanku berkata dusta demi tanah dan kekuasaan. Janganlah kerana anak tuanku, tuanku enggan menyatakan kebenaran lalu melangkah—bersama anak dan para menteri—menuju kebinasaan.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura teaches that a ruler must not abandon truth for political gain (land/kingdom) or familial attachment. Falsehood and suppression of truth, especially to protect a son’s interests, leads not to security but to collective ruin.
In the Udyoga Parva’s counsel scenes, Vidura admonishes the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) to restrain partiality toward his son and to uphold truthful, dharmic speech. He warns that choosing deceit for territorial ambition and filial favoritism will drag the king, his son, and his ministers toward destruction.