Shloka 9
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma
सुपूरा वै कुनदिका सुपूरो मूषिकाउ्जलि: । सुसंतोष: कापुरुष: स्वल्पकेनैव तुष्यति
supūrā vai kunadikā supūro mūṣikāñjaliḥ | susantoṣaḥ kāpuruṣaḥ svalpakenaiva tuṣyati ||
যেমন ছোট নদী অল্প জলেই সহজে ভরে যায়, আর ইঁদুরের কুঞ্জি অল্প শস্যেই পূর্ণ হয়, তেমনি কাপুরুষকে তুষ্ট করা বড় সহজ—সে সামান্যতেই সন্তুষ্ট হয়ে যায়।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse criticizes cowardice as a mindset that settles for minimal gain or comfort; such a person is easily appeased and thus unfit for demanding duties where courage and perseverance are required.
Vāyudeva delivers a pointed moral observation using two everyday images—a small stream and a mouse’s tiny handful—to illustrate how quickly a coward becomes satisfied, implying a contrast with the steadfastness expected in the larger conflict setting of the Udyoga Parva.