Shloka 26
अग्निनाम-वंश-निरूपणम् | Agni-Names and Lineage Enumeration
सुहृद: सुहृदो<चन्यां श्र दुर्हदश्चापि दुर्हद: । सम्यक् प्रवृत्तान् पुरुषान् न सम्यगनुपश्यत:,“मित्र दूसरे मित्रोंको और शत्रु अपने शत्रुओंको, वे अच्छे कर्ममें लगे हुए हों तो भी अच्छी दृष्टिसे नहीं देखते
suhṛdaḥ suhṛdo 'nyāṃś ca durhṛdaś cāpi durhṛdaḥ | samyak pravṛttān puruṣān na samyag anupaśyataḥ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: Friends look upon their own friends, and enemies upon their own enemies, with partial eyes; even when people are rightly engaged in good conduct, they are not seen with a truly fair and discerning vision.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that affection for friends and hostility toward enemies can cloud discernment; one may fail to acknowledge genuine virtue and right conduct in others unless one cultivates impartial, dharmic vision.
Mārkaṇḍeya is offering reflective instruction: he comments on how social bonds and rivalries shape perception, explaining why people often judge others not by their conduct but by whether they are considered friend or foe.