Shloka 15
हंस–साध्यसंवादः, वाक्-निग्रहः, महाकुल-लक्षणम्, शान्ति-उपायः
Hamsa–Sādhya Dialogue; Restraint of Speech; Marks of Noble Lineage; Means to Peace
सुलभा: पुरुषा राजन् सततं प्रियवादिन: । अप्रियस्य तु पथ्यस्य वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभ:
sulabhāḥ puruṣā rājan satataṃ priyavādinaḥ | apriyasya tu pathyasya vaktā śrotā ca durlabhaḥ ||
Wahai Raja, orang yang selalu berkata manis mudah ditemukan. Namun, yang mampu mengucapkan nasihat yang bermanfaat meski tidak menyenangkan—dan yang sanggup sungguh-sungguh mendengarnya—keduanya langka.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pleasant talk is common, but ethical counsel often requires saying (and hearing) what is beneficial even when it is unwelcome. True well-wishers and mature recipients of advice are therefore rare.
In Vidura’s counsel to the king during the tense pre-war deliberations, he warns that the court will be full of agreeable voices, while frank, welfare-oriented guidance—and the willingness to accept it—will be scarce.