Shloka 11
Vetasa-Nīti: The Reed and the Flood (वेतस-नीति)
मारुतोदकवेगेन ये नमन्त्युन्नमन्ति च । ओषध्य: पादपा गुल्मा न ते यान्ति पराभवम्,जो पौधे, वृक्ष या लता-गुल्म हवा और पानीके वेगसे झुक जाते तथा वेग शान्त होनेपर सिर उठाते हैं, उनका कभी पराभव नहीं होता
mārutodakavegena ye namanty unnamanti ca | oṣadhyaḥ pādapā gulmā na te yānti parābhavam ||
Sāgara dit : «Les herbes, les arbres et les arbrisseaux qui se courbent sous la force du vent et de l’eau, puis se redressent lorsque cette force s’apaise, ne rencontrent jamais la ruine.»
सागर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Like plants that yield to strong wind and water and then stand upright again, a wise person adapts under pressure without breaking—patiently enduring harsh conditions and recovering when they pass. Such flexibility and steadiness prevent lasting defeat.
Sāgara speaks in the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, offering a nature-based analogy: vegetation that bends with the elements survives. The statement functions as counsel on how to face powerful circumstances—by yielding appropriately rather than resisting rigidly.