Shloka 12
Kṛṣṇasya Dvārakā-praveśaḥ — Krishna’s Return to Dvārakā and the Raivataka Festival
उत्तद़्क उवाच प्राहुर्वाकुसंयतं विप्रं धर्मनैपुणदर्शिन: । मित्रेषु यश्चव विषम: स्तेन इत्येव तं विदु:
Uttaṅka uvāca: prāhur vāku-saṁyataṁ vipraṁ dharma-naipuṇa-darśinaḥ | mitreṣu yaś ca vai viṣamaḥ stena ity eva taṁ viduḥ ||
قال أُتَّنْكَ: «أيها الملك، إن العارفين بتمييز الدَّرْمَا يقولون إن البراهمي الحق هو من يكفّ لسانه—صادقٌ، ضابطٌ لكلامه. أمّا من يعامل أصدقاءه بالتحيّز والجور فمعروفٌ حقًّا بأنه لصّ.»
उत्तद़्क उवाच
Educational Q&A
True nobility (here, the mark of a brāhmaṇa) is ethical self-restraint in speech—truthful, disciplined words—while unfair, biased conduct even toward friends is condemned as theft of trust and righteousness.
Uttaṅka delivers a moral definition: he reports what dharma-experts say about who deserves the title ‘vipra’ and warns that partiality in dealing with friends is tantamount to being a ‘stena’ (thief).