Shloka 15
हंस–साध्यसंवादः, वाक्-निग्रहः, महाकुल-लक्षणम्, शान्ति-उपायः
Hamsa–Sādhya Dialogue; Restraint of Speech; Marks of Noble Lineage; Means to Peace
सुलभा: पुरुषा राजन् सततं प्रियवादिन: । अप्रियस्य तु पथ्यस्य वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभ:,राजन! सदा प्रिय वचन बोलनेवाले मनुष्य तो सहजमें ही मिल सकते हैं; किंतु जो अप्रिय होता हुआ हितकारी हो, ऐसे वचनके वक्ता और श्रोता दोनों ही दुर्लभ हैं
sulabhāḥ puruṣā rājan satataṃ priyavādinaḥ | apriyasya tu pathyasya vaktā śrotā ca durlabhaḥ ||
Vidura sprach: „O König, Menschen, die stets Angenehmes reden, findet man leicht. Doch wer das Heilsame zu sagen vermag, auch wenn es unerquicklich ist—und wer solches Wort wahrhaft zu hören vermag—beide sind selten.“
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pleasant talk is common, but ethical counsel often requires saying (and hearing) what is beneficial even when it is unwelcome. True well-wishers and mature recipients of advice are therefore rare.
In Vidura’s counsel to the king during the tense pre-war deliberations, he warns that the court will be full of agreeable voices, while frank, welfare-oriented guidance—and the willingness to accept it—will be scarce.