सुव्याहृतानि सुधियां सुकृतानि ततस् ततः ॥
संचिन्वन् धीर आसीत शिलाहारी शिलं यथा ॥
गन्धेन गावः पश्यन्ति वेदैः पश्यन्ति ब्राह्मणाः ॥
चारैः पश्यन्ति राजानश् चक्षुर्भ्याम् इतरे जनाः ॥
भूयांसं लभते क्लेशं या गौर् भवति दुर्दुहा ॥
अथ या सुदुहा राजन् नैव तां विनयन्त्य् अपि ॥
यद् अतप्तं प्रणमति न तत् संतापयन्त्य् अपि ॥
यच् च स्वयं नतं दारु न तत् संनामयन्त्य् अपि ॥
एतयोपमया धीरः संनमेत बलीयसे ॥
इन्द्राय स प्रणमते नमते यो बलीयसे ॥
suvyāhṛtāni sudhiyāṃ sukṛtāni tatas tataḥ ||
saṃcinvan dhīra āsīta śilāhārī śilaṃ yathā ||
gandhena gāvaḥ paśyanti vedaiḥ paśyanti brāhmaṇāḥ ||
cāraiḥ paśyanti rājānaś cakṣurbhyām itare janāḥ ||
bhūyāṃsaṃ labhate kleśaṃ yā gaur bhavati durduhā ||
atha yā suduhā rājan naiva tāṃ vinayanty api ||
yad ataptaṃ praṇamati na tat saṃtāpayanty api ||
yac ca svayaṃ nataṃ dāru na tat saṃnāmayanty api ||
etayopamayā dhīraḥ saṃnameta balīyase ||
indrāya sa praṇamate namate yo balīyase ||
The wise man should remain, gathering the well-spoken words and good deeds of the wise wherever he finds them, as a gleaner gathers grain. Cows perceive by scent, brahmins perceive through sacred knowledge, kings perceive through spies, while other people perceive only with their own eyes. A cow that is hard to milk suffers all the more for it, while, O king, a cow that gives milk easily is never forced into submission. What has not been heated does not bend, nor do men scorch it further; and wood that already bends of itself, no one forces to bend still more. By this same likeness, a wise man should bow before one who is mightier; he who bows before the mighty bows, in truth, before Indra.
2d1f7301e7a9 · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02:44 AM UTC
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The fragment 5.34.31-35 develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: an effort toward peace is already underway against the backdrop of an unavoidable war. Dharma is revealed here through speech, the choice of an embassy, faithfulness to promises, and the responsibility kings bear for the consequences of their decisions.