Shloka 48
Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
चलानि हीमानि षडिन्द्रियाणि तेषां यद् यद् वर्धते यत्र यत्र । ततस्ततः ख्रवते बुद्धिरस्य छिद्रोदकुम्भादिव नित्यमम्भ:
calāni hīmāni ṣaḍindriyāṇi teṣāṃ yad yad vardhate yatra yatra | tatastataḥ kṣarate buddhir asya chidrodakumbhād iva nityam ambhaḥ ||
Enam indra ini sungguh lincah dan tak menetap. Indra mana pun yang menguat dan berlari menuju objek apa pun, ke arah itulah daya budi seseorang terus mengalir habis—seperti air yang senantiasa merembes dari tempayan yang retak.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
If the senses are allowed to chase their objects unchecked, a person’s buddhi (discernment) steadily weakens. Ethical living requires guarding the senses so that judgment remains firm and capable of choosing dharma over impulse.
In the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-setting, Vidura instructs and warns about inner discipline. He uses a vivid simile—water leaking from a cracked pot—to show how a ruler or any person loses clarity and stability when the senses dominate.