श्रूयतां चाभिधास्यामो गुणदोषान् नरर्षभाः ॥
शुभाशुभाधिवासेन संसर्गं कुरुते यथा ॥
वस्त्रम् आपस् तिलान् भूमिं गन्धो वासयते यथा ॥
पुष्पाणाम् अधिवासेन तथा संसर्गजा गुणाः ॥
मोहजालस्य योनिर् हि मूढैर् एव समागमः ॥
अहन्य् अहनि धर्मस्य योनिः साधुसमागमः ॥
तस्मात् प्राज्ञैश् च वृद्धैश् च सुस्वभावैस् तपस्विभिः ॥
सद्भिश् च सह संसर्गः कार्यः शमपरायणैः ॥
येषां त्रीण्य् अवदातानि योनिर् विद्या च कर्म च ॥
तान् सेवेत् तैः समास्या हि शास्त्रेभ्यो ऽपि गरीयसी ॥
निरारम्भा ह्य् अपि वयं पुण्यशीलेषु साधुषु ॥
पुण्यम् एवाप्नुयामेह पापं पापोपसेवनात् ॥
असतां दर्शनात् स्पर्शात् संजल्पनसहासनात् ॥
धर्माचाराः प्रहीयन्ते न च सिध्यन्ति मानवाः ॥
बुद्धिश् च हीयते पुंसां नीचैः सह समागमात् ॥
मध्यमैर् मध्यतां याति श्रेष्ठतां याति चोत्तमैः ॥
ये गुणाः कीर्तिता लोके धर्मकामार्थसंभवाः ॥
लोकाचारात्मसंभूता वेदोक्ताः शिष्टसंमताः ॥
ते युष्मासु समस्ताश् च व्यस्ताश् चैवेह सद्गुणाः ॥
इच्छामो गुणवन् मध्ये वस्तुं श्रेयो ऽभिकाङ्क्षिणः ॥
śrūyatāṃ cābhidhāsyāmo guṇadoṣān nararṣabhāḥ ||
śubhāśubhādhivāsena saṃsargaṃ kurute yathā ||
vastram āpas tilān bhūmiṃ gandho vāsayate yathā ||
puṣpāṇām adhivāsena tathā saṃsargajā guṇāḥ ||
mohajālasya yonir hi mūḍhair eva samāgamaḥ ||
ahany ahani dharmasya yoniḥ sādhusamāgamaḥ ||
tasmāt prājñaiś ca vṛddhaiś ca susvabhāvais tapasvibhiḥ ||
sadbhiś ca saha saṃsargaḥ kāryaḥ śamaparāyaṇaiḥ ||
yeṣāṃ trīṇy avadātāni yonir vidyā ca karma ca ||
tān sevet taiḥ samāsyā hi śāstrebhyo 'pi garīyasī ||
nirārambhā hy api vayaṃ puṇyaśīleṣu sādhuṣu ||
puṇyam evāpnuyāmeha pāpaṃ pāpopasevanāt ||
asatāṃ darśanāt sparśāt saṃjalpanasahāsanāt ||
dharmācārāḥ prahīyante na ca sidhyanti mānavāḥ ||
buddhiś ca hīyate puṃsāṃ nīcaiḥ saha samāgamāt ||
madhyamair madhyatāṃ yāti śreṣṭhatāṃ yāti cottamaiḥ ||
ye guṇāḥ kīrtitā loke dharmakāmārthasaṃbhavāḥ ||
lokācārātmasaṃbhūtā vedoktāḥ śiṣṭasaṃmatāḥ ||
te yuṣmāsu samastāś ca vyastāś caiveha sadguṇāḥ ||
icchāmo guṇavan madhye vastuṃ śreyo 'bhikāṅkṣiṇaḥ ||
Hear us, and we shall speak of virtues and faults, O bulls among men. Association imbues a person with good or evil, just as cloth, water, sesame, or earth take on scent through nearness to flowers, so qualities too are born of contact. Association with fools is the source of the web of delusion, while daily association with the righteous is the source of dharma. Therefore one should keep company with the wise, the elders, those of good nature, ascetics, and virtuous men devoted to peace. Those whose birth, knowledge, and deeds are all pure should be served, for dwelling with them outweighs even the scriptures. Even without doing anything, we shall gain merit merely by being among men of pure conduct, but sin by serving sinners. From the sight, touch, conversation, and company of the wicked, righteous customs are lost and men fail to prosper. The intellect of men declines from association with the base, reaches a middling state with the middling, and attains excellence with the best. All the virtues praised in the world, born of dharma, desire, and gain, arising from the essence of worldly custom, declared in the Vedas and approved by the wise — these are present in you, both together and separately. Seeking our good, we wish to dwell among the virtuous.
691a7ccbab89 · publicado 16 jul 2026, 16:33:27 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
This is one of the chapter's key passages: a person comes to resemble whatever surrounds him. Dharma is shown here not merely as personal choice but as environment. The company of the truthful and the holy is therefore no mere ornament of life but a safeguard for the mind.