Shloka 65

Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)

Devanagari script

न दुःखं परदु:खे वै केचिदाहुरबुद्धय: । यो दुःखं नाभिजानाति स जल्पति महाजने,कुछ मूढ़ मनुष्य कहा करते हैं कि पराये दुःखमें दुःख नहीं होता; परंतु वही ऐसी बात श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंक निकट कहा करता है, जो दुःख के तत्त्वको नहीं जानता

Transliteration

na duḥkhaṁ paradaḥkhe vai kecid āhur abuddhayaḥ | yo duḥkhaṁ nābhijānāti sa jalpati mahājane ||

Translation

Brahmadatta said: “Some foolish people claim that one need not feel sorrow at another’s sorrow. But such talk is spoken only by one who does not truly understand what suffering is—especially when he speaks before the wise and the good.”

Word by Word

नnot

दुःखम्sorrow, pain

परदुःखेin another's sorrow

वैindeed, surely

केचित्some (people)

आहुःsay

अबुद्धयःunintelligent, foolish

यःwho

दुःखम्sorrow, pain

नnot

अभिजानातिknows, understands

सःhe

जल्पतिtalks, prattles

महाजनेamong great people / in the assembly of the noble

Speaker

ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच

Characters & Entities

Brahmadatta

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True understanding of suffering naturally includes sensitivity to others’ suffering; indifference to another’s pain is presented as a mark of ignorance and lack of wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s ethical instruction, Brahmadatta is speaking to emphasize proper moral insight: he rebukes the view that one should remain unaffected by others’ grief, calling it the speech of the foolish before the wise.