Shloka 28
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
पश्चादपि नरश्रेष्ठ तव तापो भविष्यति । तान् वा हतान् सुतान् वापि श्रुत्वा तदनुचिन्तय,नरश्रेष्ठ आप पाण्डवोंको अथवा अपने पुत्रोंको मारे गये सुनकर पीछे संताप करेंगे; अतः इस बातका पहले ही विचार कर लीजिये
paścād api naraśreṣṭha tava tāpo bhaviṣyati | tān vā hatān sutān vāpi śrutvā tad anucintaya ||
Vidura berkata: “Wahai insan terbaik, bahkan kemudian pun tuanku akan dibakar oleh penyesalan. Sama ada tuanku mendengar bahawa para Pāṇḍava telah terbunuh, atau mendengar bahawa anak-anak lelaki tuanku sendiri telah terbunuh, dukacita pasti menyusul. Maka, fikirkanlah hal ini terlebih dahulu dan pilihlah jalan yang mencegah kebinasaan.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura urges foresight and ethical deliberation: a ruler should anticipate the inevitable remorse that follows violence and partiality, and therefore act now to prevent a catastrophic outcome rather than lament later.
In the Udyoga Parva, as war approaches, Vidura counsels King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He warns that whichever side suffers death—Pāṇḍavas or Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s own sons—the king will be tormented by grief, so he must reflect and choose a peace-oriented, dharmic course before it is too late.