Shloka 11

Yayāti’s Request for Youth: Sons’ Refusals and Pūru’s Acceptance (ययातेः यौवन-विनिमयः)

Devanagari script

ये त्वेममभिजानन्ति वृत्तेनाभिजनेन वा | तेषु साधुषु वस्तव्यं स वास: श्रेष्ठ उच्पते,जो लोग आचार, व्यवहार अथवा कुलीनताकी प्रशंसा करते हों, उन साधु पुरुषोंमें ही निवास करना चाहिये और वही निवास श्रेष्ठ कहा जाता है

Transliteration

ye tv emam abhijānanti vṛttena abhijanena vā | teṣu sādhuṣu vastavyaṃ sa vāsaḥ śreṣṭha ucyate ||

Translation

قال شُكرا: «أمّا الذين يعرفون قدر المرء لحسن سيرته أو لشرف نسبه، فبين أولئك الصالحين ينبغي أن يُختار المقام. فذلك المقام وتلك الصحبة هما المعلَنان بالأفضل.»

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

तुbut/indeed

इमम्this (person/one)

अभिजानन्तिknow/recognize

वृत्तेनby conduct/behavior

अभिजनेनby noble birth/lineage

वाor

तेषुamong/in them

साधुषुamong the good/virtuous men

वस्तव्यम्should be dwelt (one should reside)

सःthat

वासःdwelling/residence

श्रेष्ठःbest/excellent

उच्यतेis said/called

Speaker

शुक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śukra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Choose your dwelling and, more importantly, your company among the virtuous—those who value and recognize good conduct (vṛtta) and/or noble lineage (abhijana). Such association is presented as the श्रेष्ठ (best) form of ‘residence,’ implying moral uplift through good surroundings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śukra is giving counsel in the form of a general ethical maxim: where one lives and with whom one associates should be determined by the presence of sādhu (upright) people who honor character and noble qualities.