Shloka 9
Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
परश्रेदेनमभिविध्येत बाणै- भुशं सुतीक्ष्णैरनलार्कदी प्तै: । स विध्यमानो5प्यतिदह्यमानो विद्यात् कवि: सुकृतं मे दधाति
paraśreṇenam abhividhyet bāṇaiḥ bhuśaṃ sutīkṣṇair analārka-dīptaiḥ | sa vidhyamāno 'py atidahyamāno vidyāt kaviḥ sukṛtaṃ me dadhāti ||
Jika orang lain menusuknya berulang-ulang dengan panah-panah kata yang amat tajam, menyala seperti api dan matahari, maka sang bijak—meski tertikam dan terbakar oleh pedih—hendaknya memahami: “Ia sedang menambah timbunan kebajikanku.”
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches kṣamā and self-mastery: even when hurt by scorching, sharp words, a wise person refrains from retaliation and reframes the experience as an opportunity to increase merit (sukṛta) through patient endurance.
Haṃsa presents an ethical instruction using a vivid metaphor: harsh speech is likened to blazing arrows. The 'kavi' (wise person) is advised to remain steady under verbal attack and to interpret the aggressor’s act as inadvertently contributing to the victim’s spiritual merit.