Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
महानप्येकजो वृक्षो बलवान् सुप्रतिष्ठित: । प्रसह एव वातेन सस्कन्धो मर्दितुं क्षणात्
mahān apy ekajo vṛkṣo balavān supratiṣṭhitaḥ | prasaha eva vātena sa-skandho mardituṃ kṣaṇāt ||
毗度罗说道:纵然是一棵参天大树,若孤立而立——虽强健、根基牢固——也会在暴风中顷刻被猛力摧折,连枝带干一并倒下。故而人若孤立无援,纵有大力亦易受制;力量须凭依托、结盟与贤者相与而得以稳固。
विदुर उवाच
Power and stability are not enough if one is isolated; even the strong can be quickly ruined. Ethical and practical wisdom advises seeking support—good allies, counsel, and community—so that adversity cannot easily uproot one.
In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers moral-political counsel. Here he uses a vivid metaphor—an immense solitary tree felled by a storm—to warn that standing alone invites sudden destruction, implying the need for prudent association and collective strength.