Shloka 12
एते हि सर्वे कुरव: समेता: क्षान्ता दान्ता: सुद्रविणोपपन्ना: । एषां वृणीष्वैकतमं पतित्वे न त्वां तपेत् कालविपर्ययोड्यम्
ete hi sarve kuravaḥ sametāḥ kṣāntā dāntāḥ sudraviṇopapannāḥ | eṣāṃ vṛṇīṣvaikatamaṃ patitve na tvāṃ tapet kālaviparyayodyam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Semua Kuru ini telah berhimpun di sini—penyabar, menahan diri, dan dikurniai kekayaan yang besar. Pilihlah seorang daripada mereka sebagai suami, agar putaran waktu yang buruk—datangnya malang dan kemiskinan—tidak menyeksa dirimu.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a pragmatic ethical counsel: when fortune turns adverse, one may seek stability through a socially sanctioned alliance with those known for patience, self-restraint, and material capability—qualities presented as safeguards against the suffering caused by a reversal of time (kālaviparyaya).
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, someone is being advised to select a husband from among the assembled Kurus, who are described as virtuous and wealthy, so that she will not be distressed by an unfavorable change in circumstances, especially poverty.