Shloka 44
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34 — Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship
सामुद्रिकं वणिजं चोरपूर्व शलाकधूर्त॑ च चिकित्सकं च | अरिं च मित्र च कुशीलवं च नैतान् साक्ष्ये त्वधिकुर्वीत सप्त
sāmudrikaṁ vaṇijaṁ corapūrvaṁ śalākadhūrtaṁ ca cikitsakaṁ ca | ariṁ ca mitraṁ ca kuśīlavaṁ ca naitān sākṣye tv adhikurvīta sapta ||
Видура наставляет: в делах, где требуется свидетельство, не следует назначать свидетелями семь родов людей: физиогномиста или гадателя по линиям ладони, купца с прошлым воровства, игрока, искусного в обмане, врача, врага, друга и профессионального исполнителя.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A witness must be free from strong bias and from habits or livelihoods associated with deception; therefore certain categories—enemy, friend, gambler/cheat, thief-turned-merchant, and others—should be excluded to safeguard impartial justice.
In Vidura’s counsel on dharma and governance during the Udyoga Parva, he lays down practical rules for legal procedure, specifying which kinds of people should not be accepted as witnesses in disputes.