Shloka 33
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
पूर्व सम्मानना यत्र पश्चाच्चैव विमानना । जह्यात् तत् सत्त्ववान् स्थान शत्रो: सम्मानितो5पि सन् ।।
pūrva-sammānanā yatra paścāc caiva vimānanā | jahyāt tat sattvavān sthānaṃ śatroḥ sammānito 'pi san ||
Brahmadatta berkata: Di tempat yang dahulu seseorang dimuliakan tetapi kemudian dihina, seorang lelaki yang kuat dan menjaga maruah hendaklah meninggalkan tempat itu—walaupun musuh di sana kembali menawarkan penghormatan kepadanya.
ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
If a place or community that once honored you later turns to contempt, a person of integrity should leave it; even renewed honor—especially from an adversary—does not erase the moral harm of sustained humiliation.
In a didactic exchange within the Śānti Parva, Brahmadatta articulates a rule of conduct (nīti): one should not remain where one’s standing has degraded from respect to insult, even if circumstances later bring superficial honor.