Shloka 40
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच संवासाज्जायते स्नेहो जीवितान्तकरेष्वपि । अन्योन्यस्य च विश्वास: श्वपचेन शुनो यथा
brahmadatta uvāca saṃvāsāj jāyate sneho jīvitāntakareṣv api | anyonyasya ca viśvāsaḥ śvapacena śuno yathā ||
Brahmadatta dit : «De la vie en commun naît l’affection, même entre ceux qui pourraient se donner la mort. Et la confiance réciproque naît aussi, comme entre un śvapaca (mangeur de chien) et un chien.»
ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
Close association powerfully generates attachment and trust, sometimes overriding even fear, hostility, or danger; therefore one should be mindful of whom one keeps company with and how relationships shape judgment and conduct.
In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Brahmadatta states a general observation about human (and animal) psychology: prolonged proximity creates bonds and confidence even between unlikely or perilous counterparts, illustrated through the extreme example of a śvapaca and a dog.