Shloka 32
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वंशोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Dynastic Counsel on Legitimate Rule
राजा च क्षत्ता च महानुभावौ भीष्मे स्थिते परवन्तौ भवेताम् | अयं तु धर्मज्ञतया महात्मा न कामयेद् यो नृवरो नदीज:
rājā ca kṣattā ca mahānubhāvau bhīṣme sthite paravantau bhavetām | ayaṃ tu dharmajñatayā mahātmā na kāmayed yo nṛvaro nadījaḥ ||
Vidura disse: “Enquanto Bhīṣma estiver vivo, tanto o rei (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) quanto o kṣattā (Vidura), embora homens de grande estatura, permanecerão dependentes dele—sem qualquer direito de assumir a soberania em sua presença. E, no entanto, esse melhor dos homens, o magnânimo filho do rio (Gaṅgā), justamente por conhecer o dharma, nem sequer deseja tomar a realeza.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate authority is not merely a matter of power but of dharma and rightful order: while Bhīṣma lives, others remain constrained by his seniority and standing; yet Bhīṣma’s own dharma-knowledge expresses itself as restraint—he does not covet kingship.
Vidura is characterizing the political reality at Hastināpura: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Vidura, despite their eminence, remain effectively under Bhīṣma’s overriding authority. He then highlights Bhīṣma’s ethical stature—though capable, he does not wish to seize rule.