Shloka 31
विदुरस्य कृष्णं प्रति शमोपदेशः
Vidura’s Counsel to Krishna on the Limits of Peace
अथ यो गुणसम्पन्नान् हृदयस्याप्रियानपि । प्रियेण कुरुते वश्यांश्विरं यशसि तिष्ठति
atha yo guṇasampannān hṛdayasyāpriyān api | priyeṇa kurute vaśyāṁś ciraṁ yaśasi tiṣṭhati ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Selbst die Tugendhaften, die dem eigenen Herzen missfallen—wer sie durch freundliches und gefälliges Verhalten für Wohlwollen und Einfluss gewinnt, bleibt in dauerndem Ruhm gegründet.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Lasting fame comes to one who can win over even personally disagreeable yet virtuous people through pleasing, respectful conduct—showing self-control, tact, and ethical leadership.
In Udyoga Parva’s counsel-oriented setting before the great war, Vaiśampāyana voices a general maxim on statecraft and interpersonal dharma: influence is best secured not by force but by agreeable behavior, even toward those one does not naturally like.