Shloka 59
Vidura-nīti: Atithi-dharma, Trust, Counsel-Secrecy, and Traits of Sustainable Rule
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 38
क्षमेदशक्त: सर्वस्य शक्तिमान् धर्मकारणात् | अर्थानर्थों समौ यस्य तस्य नित्यं क्षमा हिता
kṣamed aśaktaḥ sarvasya śaktimān dharmakāraṇāt | arthānarthau samau yasya tasya nityaṃ kṣamā hitā ||
جو بے طاقت ہے وہ سب کو معاف کرے؛ اور جو طاقتور ہے وہ بھی دھرم کی خاطر درگزر کرے۔ جس کی نگاہ میں نفع و نقصان برابر ہوں، اس کے لیے معافی ہمیشہ بھلائی اور خیر کا سبب ہے۔
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Forgiveness (kṣamā) is universally beneficial: the weak may forgive out of necessity, but the strong should forgive deliberately for the sake of dharma; the truly wise, seeing gain and harm as equal, find forgiveness always salutary.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura is offering moral and political counsel in the tense lead-up to war, urging a dharmic response—restraint and forgiveness—rather than retaliation, even when one has the power to punish.