Shloka 85
राजन भूयो ब्रवीमि त्वां पुत्रेषु सममाचर । समता यदि ते राजनू् स्वेषु पाण्डुसुतेषु वा,राजन! मैं फिर कहता हूँ, यदि आपका अपने पुत्रों और पाण्डवोंमें समानभाव है तो उन सभी पुत्रोंके साथ एक-सा बर्ताव कीजिये
rājan bhūyo bravīmi tvāṁ putreṣu samam ācara | samatā yadi te rājan sveṣu pāṇḍusuteṣu vā ||
Wahai Raja, aku berkata lagi: bertindaklah dengan adil sama rata terhadap putera-puteramu. Jika benar engkau mendakwa bersikap tidak memihak—sama ada terhadap anakmu sendiri atau terhadap putera-putera Pāṇḍu—maka biarlah layananmu terhadap mereka semua serupa. Vidura menegaskan tuntutan etika bahawa kenetralan seorang pemerintah mesti dibuktikan melalui tindakan yang adil dan konsisten, bukan kasih sayang yang berat sebelah.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must match words with deeds: if he claims impartiality between his own sons and the Pāṇḍavas, he must actually treat them equally in policy, judgment, and conduct. Ethical governance requires consistent fairness, not selective affection.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations, Vidura counsels Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He urges the king to abandon partiality toward the Kauravas and to act with equal justice toward both sides, warning implicitly that biased conduct will fuel conflict.