Shloka 15
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma
मुहूर्त ज्वलितं श्रेयो न च धूमायितं चिरम् । मा ह सम कस्यचिद् गेहे जनि राज्ञ: खरो मृदु:,दो घड़ी भी प्रज्वलित रहना अच्छा; परंतु दीर्घकालतक धूआँ छोड़ते हुए सुलगना अच्छा नहीं। किसी भी राजाके घरमें अत्यन्त कठोर अथवा अत्यन्त कोमल स्वभावके पुरुषका जन्म न हो
muhūrtaṃ jvalitaṃ śreyo na ca dhūmāyitaṃ ciram | mā ha sama kasyacid gehe jani rājñaḥ kharo mṛduḥ ||
Vāyu berkata: “Lebih baik menyala terang walau seketika daripada membara lama tetapi hanya berasap. Dan semoga tidak pernah terjadi bahawa, dalam mana-mana istana raja, lahir seorang lelaki yang terlalu keras atau terlalu lembut.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
True excellence is like a clear flame—decisive and luminous—even if brief; prolonged, smoky smouldering suggests indecision and ineffective action. For rulers, the verse warns against extremes of temperament: excessive harshness becomes cruelty, while excessive softness becomes weakness; both harm governance and dharma.
Vāyudeva is giving pointed counsel in the Udyoga Parva context, where questions of policy, resolve, and royal conduct are urgent. He uses a fire metaphor to urge clarity and effectiveness, then applies it to kingship by cautioning that a king’s household should not produce men of extreme harshness or extreme gentleness.