Shloka 2
Adhyāya 11 — Maṇḍala-vicāra and Ṣāḍguṇya-prayoga
Circle-of-Kings Analysis and the Six Policies
न स्मरन्त्यपराद्धानि स्मरन्ति सुकृतान्यपि । असम्धिन्नार्यमर्यादा: साधव: पुरुषोत्तमा:
arjuna uvāca | na smaranti aparāddhāni smaranti sukṛtāny api | asandhinnāryamaryādāḥ sādhavaḥ puruṣottamāḥ ||
যাঁরা আর্য-মর্যাদা ভঙ্গ করেননি, সেই সাধুস্বভাব শ্রেষ্ঠ পুরুষেরা অন্যের অপরাধ স্মরণ করেন না; তাঁরা উপকারই স্মরণ রাখেন, সুকৃতকর্মও ভুলে যান না।
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Nobility is shown by selective remembrance: the virtuous choose to remember kindness and merit, not others’ faults. Upholding ārya-maryādā (noble standards) includes forgiveness and gratitude, which prevent resentment from governing one’s conduct.
Arjuna is speaking in the Āśramavāsika context, reflecting on the conduct of truly noble people. His statement frames an ethical ideal—how the best persons respond to injury—by contrasting the remembrance of offenses with the remembrance of benefactions.