Shloka 24
सर्व एव गुरुं भारमनड्वान् वहते समे । दुर्गे प्रतीत: सुगवो भारं वहति दुर्वहम्,समतल भूमिपर सभी बैल भारी भार वहन कर लेते हैं; परंतु दुर्गण भूमिपर कठिनाईसे वहन करनेयोग्य गुरुतर भारको अच्छे बैल ही ढोते हैं
sarva eva guruṁ bhāram anaḍvān vahate same | durge pratītaḥ sugavo bhāraṁ vahati durvaham ||
Nārada said: “On level ground, any ox can carry a heavy load. But on difficult terrain, only a proven, well-trained ox bears a load that is otherwise hard to carry.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
True capability and virtue are not measured in easy circumstances; they are revealed when conditions become difficult. The ‘good ox’ symbolizes the person of steadiness and competence who can uphold dharma and responsibility under pressure.
Nārada uses a practical rural metaphor—oxen carrying loads—to illustrate a moral point: many can perform when the path is smooth, but only the truly proven can sustain heavy duties amid hardship.