Shloka 18
शोक-शमन उपदेशः
Instruction on the Pacification of Grief
यथा तु सलिलं राजन् क्रीडार्थमनुसंतरत् । उन्मज्जेच्च निमज्जेच्च किंचित् सत्त्वं नराधिप
yathā tu salilaṃ rājan krīḍārtham anusantarat | unmajjecca nimajjecca kiṃcit sattvaṃ narādhipa ||
ໂອ ພຣະຣາຊາ, ດັ່ງສັດນ້ອຍໜຶ່ງ ທີ່ເຄື່ອນໄຫວໃນນ້ຳເພື່ອຫຼິ້ນ, ບາງຄັ້ງກໍຜຸດຂຶ້ນເທິງຜິວນ້ຳ ແລະບາງຄັ້ງກໍຈົມລົງ—ສັດມີຊີວິດກໍເຊັ່ນນັ້ນ, ຖືກຂັບເຄື່ອນໂດຍເຫດປັດໃຈແລະຄວາມຢາກ, ບາງຄັ້ງຜຸດຂຶ້ນສູ່ຄວາມໂດດເດັ່ນ ແລະບາງຄັ້ງກໍຕົກກັບສູ່ຄວາມມືດມົນ.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that rise and fall are natural and recurring, like a creature surfacing and submerging in water; therefore one should not become arrogant in success or despair in decline, but maintain discernment and steadiness.
Vidura addresses the king and uses a vivid simile from nature—movement in water—to counsel him about the unstable, alternating conditions of worldly life and status, framing a moral warning suited to royal decision-making.