तस्मात् प्राज्ञो नर: सद्यस्तादृशं॑ पापचेतसम् | वर्जयेत् साधुभिर्वज्य सारमेयामिषं यथा
tasmāt prājño naraḥ sadyas tādṛśaṃ pāpacetasam | varjayet sādhubhir varjyaṃ sārameyāmiṣaṃ yathā ||
म्हणून प्राज्ञ पुरुषाने अशा पापचेतस—ज्याला सज्जन टाळतात—माणसाला त्वरित वर्ज्य करावे; जसे कुत्र्याने स्पर्श केलेले मांस टाळतात।
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma teaches that discernment includes promptly distancing oneself from people of corrupt intention; association with the morally tainted is to be avoided as decisively as one avoids something considered impure.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma in the Shanti Parva, he gives a pointed simile to counsel the listener: a wise person should immediately shun an evil-minded individual rejected by the virtuous, likening such avoidance to rejecting dog-touched meat.