Mahabharata 4.28.31 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 28, Shloka 31
कृपवाक्यं तथा नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel and a Discourse on Statecraft
कि पुनः प्राकृतैस्तात पार्थों विज्ञायते क्वचित् । यस्मिन् सत्यं धृतिर्दानं परा शान्तिर्धुवा क्षमा
ki punaḥ prākṛtaiḥ tāta pārtho vijñāyate kvacit | yasmin satyaṃ dhṛtir dānaṃ parā śāntir dhruvā kṣamā ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Apalagi, wahai tāt, bagaimana mungkin Pārtha dikenali oleh orang kebanyakan? Sebab dalam dirinya bersemayam kebenaran, keteguhan hati, kedermawanan, ketenteraman tertinggi, dan pemaafan yang tak tergoyahkan.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that true nobility is marked by inner virtues—truthfulness, steadfast resolve, generosity, peace, and forgiveness—and that such refined character is not easily perceived or correctly identified by ordinary people.
In the Virāṭa context, the speaker underscores how difficult it is for common people to recognize Pārtha (Arjuna), implying that his exceptional qualities and controlled demeanor make him hard to identify, especially amid concealment and uncertainty.
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