Shloka 28
उद्योगपर्व — विदुरनीतिः (Adhyāya 37): आयुःक्षयहेतवः, नीतिसूत्राणि, बलभेदाः, पाण्डव-विग्रहदोषदर्शनम्
ब्राह्मणं ब्राह्मणो वेद भर्ता वेद स्त्रियं तथा । अमात्यं नृपतिर्वेद राजा राजानमेव च,ब्राह्मणको ब्राह्मण जानता है, स्त्रीको उसका पति जानता है, मन्त्रीको राजा जानता है और राजाको भी राजा ही जानता है
brāhmaṇaṃ brāhmaṇo veda bhartā veda striyaṃ tathā | amātyaṃ nṛpatir veda rājā rājānam eva ca ||
Vidura berkata: “Seorang Brahmana benar-benar difahami oleh Brahmana; seorang wanita difahami oleh suaminya. Seorang menteri difahami oleh raja; dan seorang raja pun hanya difahami oleh raja yang lain.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True understanding of a person’s nature and duties comes from shared training and comparable lived responsibility: brāhmaṇas best judge brāhmaṇas, spouses know each other intimately, kings best evaluate ministers, and only a peer ruler can fully assess another ruler’s burdens, motives, and conduct.
In Vidura’s counsel during the Udyoga Parva, he offers a maxim about discernment and proper evaluation of people in their roles—especially relevant to royal decision-making, where judging ministers and other kings requires experience, closeness, and ethical insight.