Shloka 9
Vetasa-Nīti: The Reed and the Flood (वेतस-नीति)
वेतसो वेगमायातं दृष्टवा नमति नापरे | सरिद्वेगेडव्यतिक्रान्ते स्थानमासाद्य तिष्ठति
vetaso vegam āyātaṃ dṛṣṭvā namati nāpare | sarid-vege ’py atikrānte sthānam āsādya tiṣṭhati ||
ສາຄະຣະກ່າວວ່າ: “ເມື່ອເຫັນກະແສນ້ຳພຸ້ງມາ ຕົ້ນອ້ອຍປ່າກໍກົ້ມລົງ; ແຕ່ຕົ້ນໄມ້ອື່ນບໍ່ເຮັດເຊັ່ນນັ້ນ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ເມື່ອແຮງກະແສຜ່ານໄປ ມັນກໍກັບຄືນສູ່ບ່ອນຂອງຕົນ ແລະຢືນຢູ່ຢ່າງໝັ້ນຄົງ.”
सागर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Flexibility in adversity is a form of strength: by yielding when an overwhelming force arrives, one avoids ruin and can return to one’s rightful position once the danger passes.
Sāgara illustrates a moral point with a natural image: the reed bends before the river’s surge while rigid trees resist; after the current subsides, the reed rises and stands again in its place.