Shloka 246
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वंशोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Dynastic Counsel on Legitimate Rule
वनं गच्छ मया सार्ध धृतराष्ट्रेण चैव ह | यदि इन दिनों विनाशकाल उपस्थित होनेके कारण आपकी बुद्धि नष्ट हो गयी हो तो मेरे और धृतराष्ट्रके साथ वनमें पधारिये
vanaṁ gaccha mayā sārdhaṁ dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa caiva ha | yadi etad-dineṣu vināśa-kāla upasthite hetor tava buddhiḥ naṣṭā syāt, tarhi mayā dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa ca sārdhaṁ vanaṁ prapadyasva ||
Vidura nói: “Hãy vào rừng cùng ta—và cùng cả Dhṛtarāṣṭra nữa. Nếu trong những ngày này, khi thời khắc diệt vong đã đến, trí xét đoán của ngài đã bị hủy hoại, thì hãy rút lui vào rừng với ta và Dhṛtarāṣṭra.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
When discernment collapses under the pressure of an approaching catastrophe, the ethical course may be to withdraw from harmful action and seek a life aligned with restraint and dharma—symbolized here by going to the forest.
Vidura urges a retreat: he invites the addressed person to leave the courtly conflict behind and go to the forest together with him and Dhṛtarāṣṭra, warning that the ‘time of ruin’ has arrived and that judgment has been compromised.