Āśvamedhika-parva, Adhyāya 14
Consolation of Yudhiṣṭhira; Rites and Gifts; Return to Hastināpura
नाभागधेय: पुरुष: कश्रिदेवंविधान् गुरून् । लभते व्यसन प्राप्प सुहृद: साधुसम्मतान्,“जो सौभाग्यशाली नहीं है, ऐसा कोई भी पुरुष संकटमें पड़नेपर आप-जैसे साधुसम्मानित हितैषी गुरुजनोंको नहीं पा सकता”
nābhāgadhēyaḥ puruṣaḥ kaścid evaṃvidhān gurūn | labhate vyasanaṃ prāpya suhṛdaḥ sādhusammatān ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “A man who is not fortunate—none at all—when struck by calamity, obtains beneficent elders and teachers like these, friends who are honored by the good.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
In times of crisis, the presence of noble, well-regarded well-wishers and guiding elders is itself a mark of good fortune; lacking such support is portrayed as misfortune.
The narrator Vaiśaṃpāyana comments that when calamity arises, only the truly fortunate find supportive gurus and virtuous friends—framing the surrounding events in terms of providence and moral companionship.