Adhyāya 8 — Vidura’s Return and the Kaurava Counsel (Āraṇyaka-parva)
अथवायं सुमन्दात्मा वनं गच्छतु ते सुत: । पाण्डवै: सहितो राजन्नेक एवासहायवान्,अथवा तुम्हारा यह मन्दबुद्धि पुत्र अकेला ही दूसरे किसी सहायकको लिये बिना पाण्डवोंके साथ वनमें जाय
athavāyaṁ sumandātmā vanaṁ gacchatu te sutaḥ | pāṇḍavaiḥ sahito rājann eka evāsahāyavān ||
หรือไม่ก็ ข้าแต่พระราชา ขอให้โอรสผู้ทึบปัญญาของพระองค์ไปสู่ป่าพร้อมเหล่าปาณฑพ—ไปเพียงลำพัง ไร้ผู้ช่วยเหลือและไร้ที่พึ่งใดๆ
व्यास उवाच
Sound counsel to a ruler: do not let misguided attachment or poor judgment create wider harm. If a foolish prince insists on joining the exiled Pāṇḍavas, he should go without entourage—so responsibility remains personal, and hardship may reform character.
Vyāsa addresses the king and proposes an alternative course: the king’s dull-minded son may accompany the Pāṇḍavas to the forest, but he should go alone, without helpers—framing exile as both a test and a restraint on further trouble.