Shloka 24
Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 1 — The Pandavas’ Exit from Gajasāhvaya and the Citizens’ Lament (जनमेजयप्रश्नः; पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानम्)
वस्त्रमापस्तिलान् भूमिं गन्धो वासयते यथा । पुष्पाणामधिवासेन तथा संसर्गजा गुणा:,'जैसे फूलोंके संसर्गमें रहनेपर उनकी सुगन्ध वस्त्र, जल, तिल और भूमिको भी सुवासित कर देती है, उसी प्रकार संसर्गजनित गुण भी अपना प्रभाव डालते हैं
vastram āpas tilān bhūmiṁ gandho vāsayate yathā | puṣpāṇām adhivāsena tathā saṁsargajā guṇāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Así como la fragancia, por la sola cercanía de las flores, impregna la tela, el agua, el sésamo e incluso la tierra, así también las cualidades nacidas de la compañía difunden su influjo. El hombre se moldea, para bien o para mal, según la gente con la que se junta.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Association powerfully shapes character: virtues and vices are ‘contagious’ through proximity, just as fragrance spreads from flowers to whatever is near. The verse urges discernment in choosing one’s company as an ethical practice.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration early in the Vana Parva, a general moral principle is stated through a vivid simile: contact with something excellent (like flowers) imparts its quality to surrounding things, illustrating how people are influenced by their companions.