देवयान्य् उवाच
वेदाहं तात बालापि धर्माणां यद् इहान्तरम् ॥
अक्रोधे चातिवादे च वेद चापि बलाबलम् ॥
शिष्यस्याशिष्यवृत्तेर् हि न क्षन्तव्यं बुभूषता ॥
तस्मात् संकीर्णवृत्तेषु वासो मम न रोचते ॥
पुमांसो ये हि निन्दन्ति वृत्तेनाभिजनेन च ॥
न तेषु निवसेत् प्राज्ञः श्रेयोर्थी पापबुद्धिषु ॥
ये त्व् एनम् अभिजानन्ति वृत्तेनाभिजनेन च ॥
तेषु साधुषु वस्तव्यं स वासः श्रेष्ठ उच्यते ॥
वाग् दुरुक्तं महाघोरं दुहितुर् वृषपर्वणः ॥
न ह्य् अतो दुष्करतरं मन्ये लोकेष्व् अपि त्रिषु ॥
यः सपत्नश्रियं दीप्तां हीनश्रीः पर्युपासते ॥
devayāny uvāca
vedāhaṃ tāta bālāpi dharmāṇāṃ yad ihāntaram ||
akrodhe cātivāde ca veda cāpi balābalam ||
śiṣyasyāśiṣyavṛtter hi na kṣantavyaṃ bubhūṣatā ||
tasmāt saṃkīrṇavṛtteṣu vāso mama na rocate ||
pumāṃso ye hi nindanti vṛttenābhijanena ca ||
na teṣu nivaset prājñaḥ śreyorthī pāpabuddhiṣu ||
ye tv enam abhijānanti vṛttenābhijanena ca ||
teṣu sādhuṣu vastavyaṃ sa vāsaḥ śreṣṭha ucyate ||
vāg duruktaṃ mahāghoraṃ duhitur vṛṣaparvaṇaḥ ||
na hy ato duṣkarataraṃ manye lokeṣv api triṣu ||
yaḥ sapatnaśriyaṃ dīptāṃ hīnaśrīḥ paryupāsate ||
Devayani said: "Father, though I am but a child, I know the difference of dharmas here — I know of freedom from anger and of insult, and I know strength and weakness. But for one who desires his own good, a disciple who behaves as no disciple should must not be forgiven; therefore dwelling among people of evil conduct does not please me. Among those men of evil intent who revile others for their conduct and birth, the wise man who seeks his own good should not dwell. But among those good people who honor a person for his conduct and birth, there one should dwell; that dwelling is called the best. The speech of the daughter of Vrishaparvan is most dreadful, ill-spoken; I think there is nothing in the three worlds harder to bear than this — that one deprived of fortune should wait upon the blazing fortune of a rival."
5818c01ed4d6 · published Jul 12, 2026, 3:49:50 PM UTC
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Here Devayani answers her father, and reveals the duality of her own heart. Telling is that she acknowledges the teaching of forbearance ("I know the difference of dharmas") yet does not accept it for herself: wounded pride will not let her forgive. Here is a truthful picture of human weakness: knowing dharma is not the same as living it; anger and injury prove stronger than abstract knowledge. There is also a grain of truth in Devayani's words: there is wisdom in not dwelling among those who revile and behave badly — bad company (kusanga) harms the soul, and seeking the company of the good (satsanga) is a blessing. This is an unshakeable principle: to avoid bad company and to seek the company of the saintly is the foundation of spiritual life. But in Devayani's mouth this true principle also serves as a justification for her pride and thirst for revenge — "nothing harder to bear than waiting upon a rival's fortune." Thus the text subtly shows how a wholesome truth (avoiding kusanga) can be twisted by pride into a pretext for revenge. And as the next chapter will show, Devayani will demand that Sharmishtha become her servant — her "search for good company" will turn into vengeance. The lesson: even a right principle, applied with pride, gives birth to wrong.