Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
चलानि हीमानि षडिन्द्रियाणि तेषां यद् यद् वर्धते यत्र यत्र । ततस्ततः ख्रवते बुद्धिरस्य छिद्रोदकुम्भादिव नित्यमम्भ:
calāni hīmāni ṣaḍindriyāṇi teṣāṃ yad yad vardhate yatra yatra | tatastataḥ kṣarate buddhir asya chidrodakumbhād iva nityam ambhaḥ ||
ही सहा इंद्रिये अत्यंत चंचल आहेत; त्यांपैकी जी-जी इंद्रिय ज्या-ज्या विषयाकडे वाढते, त्या-त्या दिशेला बुद्धी तशीच क्षीण होत जाते—जसे फूटलेल्या घड्यातून पाणी सतत झिरपत राहते।
विदुर उवाच
If the senses are allowed to chase their objects unchecked, a person’s buddhi (discernment) steadily weakens. Ethical living requires guarding the senses so that judgment remains firm and capable of choosing dharma over impulse.
In the Udyoga Parva’s counsel-setting, Vidura instructs and warns about inner discipline. He uses a vivid simile—water leaking from a cracked pot—to show how a ruler or any person loses clarity and stability when the senses dominate.