Shloka 9
उद्योगपर्व — विदुरनीतिः (Adhyāya 37): आयुःक्षयहेतवः, नीतिसूत्राणि, बलभेदाः, पाण्डव-विग्रहदोषदर्शनम्
नविश्वसेदविश्वस्ते विश्वस्ते नातिविश्वसेत् । विश्वासाद् भयमुत्पन्नं मूलान्यपि निकृन्तति
na viśvased aviśvaste viśvaste nātiviśvaset | viśvāsād bhayam utpannaṁ mūlāny api nikṛntati ||
Vidura menasihati agar berhati-hati dalam hal kepercayaan: jangan menaruh percaya pada orang yang tidak dapat dipercayai; dan bahkan terhadap orang yang dianggap boleh dipercayai, jangan pula menjadi terlalu mudah percaya. Kerana bahaya yang lahir daripada kepercayaan yang tersalah tempat mampu menebas hingga ke akar—meruntuhkan asas, keselamatan, dan kedudukan seseorang.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Trust must be governed by discernment: do not trust the untrustworthy, and do not trust even the trustworthy without limits. Excessive or misplaced trust creates vulnerability that can destroy one’s very foundations—wealth, safety, reputation, and relationships.
In Udyoga Parva, as tensions move toward war, Vidura offers moral and practical counsel (nīti) to guide conduct and policy. This verse is part of his warning that poor judgment in alliances and confidences can bring catastrophic harm.