Shloka 9
सभा-पर्व, अध्याय 56: विदुरस्य द्यूत-निन्दा
Vidura’s Censure of Dicing and Warning to the Kurus
भयं परिहरन् मन्द आत्मानं परिपालयन् | वर्षासु क्लिन्नकटवत् तिष्ठन्नेवावसीदति
bhayaṃ pariharan manda ātmānaṃ paripālayan | varṣāsu klinnakaṭavat tiṣṭhann evāvasīdati ||
دُریودھن نے کہا—کم عقل آدمی خوف چھوڑ کر اور اپنی حفاظت کرتے ہوئے بھی اگر چپ چاپ بیٹھا رہے اور کوشش نہ کرے تو وہ برسات میں بھیگی چٹائی کی طرح گل سڑ کر برباد ہو جاتا ہے۔
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Fearlessness and self-protection are not enough by themselves; without initiative and sustained effort, a person declines—illustrated by the image of a rain-soaked mat that collapses and rots.
In the Sabha Parva context, Duryodhana is voicing a hard, political-ethical maxim: in a competitive royal world, mere caution and passive waiting are ruinous; one must act (udyoga) to secure one’s aims.