Shloka 21
मृत्यु-काल-प्रबोधनम् (Instruction on Mortality, Time, and Truth) — Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 169
आत्मानं पीडयित्वापि सुहृत्कार्यपरायणा: । विरज्यन्ति न मित्रेभ्यो वासो रक्तमिवाविकम्
ātmānaṃ pīḍayitvāpi suhṛt-kārya-parāyaṇāḥ | virajyanti na mitrebhyo vāso raktam ivāvikam ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Walaupun terpaksa menyakiti diri sendiri, mereka yang bertekad menunaikan kebajikan sahabat tidak akan berpaling daripada sahabatnya—seperti kain bulu yang telah menyerap pewarna, tidak kehilangan warnanya.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True friends remain steadfast in loyalty and service to a friend’s good, even at personal cost; genuine attachment to virtuous friendship does not fade easily, like dye that holds fast in wool.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction in the Śānti Parva, he is describing the mark of noble character: unwavering commitment to a friend’s welfare, illustrated through a homely simile of dyed woollen cloth.