Shloka 5
Vasiṣṭha–Karāla-Janaka Saṃvāda: Aśuddha-Sevana, Guṇa-Dr̥ṣṭi, and Sāṃkhya–Yoga Ekārthatā
Mahābhārata 12.293
यादृशेन हि वर्णेन भाव्यते शुक्लमम्बरम् । तादृशं कुरुते रूपमेतदेवमवेहि मे
yādṛśena hi varṇena bhāvyate śuklam ambaram | tādṛśaṃ kurute rūpam etad evam avehi me ||
Parāśara said: “Just as a white cloth takes on the very color with which it is dyed, so too a person assumes the form and character of the company he keeps. Know this truth clearly from me.”
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person’s character is shaped by association: like white cloth that takes the dye’s color, one takes on the qualities of the company one keeps—hence the ethical importance of seeking good companionship (satsaṅga) and avoiding corrupting influence.
Parāśara is instructing his listener through a simple metaphor, emphasizing a practical moral principle within the Śānti Parva’s broader discourse on conduct, self-cultivation, and the conditions that support dharma.