Marriage is no substitute for political experience.

Hear now, O seekers of wisdom and watchers of the world’s affairs, the words of Sharad Pawar, a man seasoned by the long storms of public life, who once declared: “Marriage is no substitute for political experience.” These words, sharp as a blade and steady as an elder’s hand, were spoken not merely as commentary on power, but as a warning — that governance, leadership, and the destiny of nations demand not inherited privilege nor familial ties, but wisdom earned through trial, courage, and service.

In the age of kings, thrones passed from father to son, crowns from husband to wife, and power often wore the mask of lineage. But Pawar’s words pierce that illusion. He speaks from the heart of democracy — where authority, if it is to be true, must rise not from the altar or the marriage bed, but from the soil of experience. For politics is a battlefield of minds, a place where decisions weigh upon millions, and where sentiment or kinship cannot replace the training of the soul that comes from years of struggle.

When Pawar uttered this truth, he was not merely addressing one individual, but the very spirit of nepotism that haunts nations. He spoke as a man who had seen dynasties fall and populists rise; who knew that leadership without preparation is like a ship without a captain — adrift, blind, and dangerous. In politics, one must learn to listen, to compromise, to endure betrayal without bitterness and victory without pride. These lessons cannot be inherited through love or marriage; they are forged only in the crucible of service.

Consider, my children, the tale of Marie Antoinette, queen of France, whose marriage to Louis XVI granted her a crown but not the wisdom to wield it. Surrounded by luxury, she mistook privilege for strength, and play for politics. When the storm of revolution came, her palace became her prison, and her ignorance became her undoing. Her story stands as an eternal reminder that position is not power, and status is not understanding. Without experience, even a throne can become a trap.

So too in more recent times, the halls of politics have seen those who, lifted by name or marriage, faltered when faced with the realities of governance. For politics is not romance — it is endurance, vigilance, and the mastery of self. It demands the courage to stand alone and the humility to serve. Sharad Pawar, speaking from his years of toil, knew that only those who have walked through failure and fire can carry the weight of leadership. To mistake personal connection for political competence is to endanger both the people and the promise of democracy itself.

Yet his words carry not scorn, but wisdom. They remind us that every role — whether in family or in state — has its sacred place, but must not be confused with another. A spouse may offer counsel, loyalty, and love — but governance requires experience, and experience is born of labor, not affection. To lead a nation is to read the pulse of the people, to understand both hunger and hope. This cannot be learned in comfort, nor inherited by association. It must be lived.

Therefore, O learners and future leaders, let this truth be engraved in your hearts: Authority without experience is peril, and love cannot replace learning. Before you seek to lead, serve. Before you claim to know, listen. Before you wield power, endure the weight of responsibility. For only the one who has walked among the people, who has tasted both victory and defeat, can truly stand before them as their guide.

And so, take this teaching as your compass: do not mistake proximity to power for readiness to wield it. Whether in politics, in work, or in the quiet governance of your own life, remember — wisdom cannot be borrowed. It must be earned. And those who seek to rule without experience are like architects who build without foundations — their towers may rise swiftly, but they will fall with the first wind. The world, therefore, belongs not to the inheritors of power, but to the students of experience, whose hearts are tempered by service and whose vision is shaped by truth.