Shloka 43

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 123 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa–Vidura Upadeśa to Duryodhana

Keśava-vākya aftermath

Devanagari script

छिद्यते ह्याततं सर्व प्रमाणं पश्य भारत । श्रेयस्ते दुर्जनात्‌ तात पाण्डवैः सह संगतम्‌

Transliteration

chidyate hy ātatam sarva-pramāṇaṃ paśya bhārata | śreyas te durjanāt tāta pāṇḍavaiḥ saha saṅgatam ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Look, O Bhārata: in the presence of a jealous and ill-disposed man, even a whole array of carefully extended proofs gets cut down and rendered ineffective. Therefore, dear one, it is far better for you to seek association and reconciliation with the Pāṇḍavas than to keep company with a wicked person.”

Word by Word

• {'chidyate': 'is cut off, is severed, is rendered ineffective', 'hi': 'indeed, surely', 'ātatam': 'spread out, extended, elaborated', 'sarva-pramāṇam': 'all evidence/proof

• the whole body of arguments and authorities', 'paśya': 'see, behold, consider', 'bhārata': 'O Bhārata (address to a descendant of Bharata

• here, Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'śreyas': 'the better course

• what is more beneficial', 'te': 'for you, your', 'durjanāt': 'from/than a wicked person

• from bad company', 'tāta': 'dear one

• child (affectionate address)', 'pāṇḍavaiḥ': 'with the Pāṇḍavas', 'saha': 'together with', 'saṅgatam': 'association, companionship

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)
• Pāṇḍavas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even strong reasoning and evidence fail before envy and malice; therefore one should choose wholesome association—here, reconciliation with the Pāṇḍavas—over the influence of wicked company.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana, narrating to Janamejaya, reports counsel directed to ‘Bhārata’ (Dhṛtarāṣṭra): he is urged to abandon the sway of ill-willed advisers and instead align himself with the Pāṇḍavas, as this is the more beneficial path amid the looming conflict.