Shloka 10
Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
यदि सन्त॑ सेवति यद्यसन्तं तपस्विनं यदि वा स्तेनमेव । वासो यथा रड्रवशं प्रयाति तथा स तेषां वशमभ्युपैति
yadi santaṁ sevati yady asantaṁ tapasvinaṁ yadi vā stenam eva | vāso yathā raṅgavaśaṁ prayāti tathā sa teṣāṁ vaśam abhyupaiti ||
Haṁsa berkata: Entah seseorang melayani orang baik atau orang jahat; melayani pertapa atau bahkan pencuri—sebagaimana kain menyerap warna celupan, demikian pula ia jatuh ke bawah pengaruh mereka dan dibentuk oleh watak mereka.
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
One’s character is strongly shaped by whom one serves and keeps company with; association acts like dye on cloth, imparting the qualities—good or bad—of those attended.
Haṁsa delivers a moral instruction using a vivid simile: as cloth becomes the color it is dyed, a person becomes influenced by the nature of those he serves—whether virtuous, wicked, ascetic, or criminal.