Mahabharata 4.4.31 — Virata Parva, Adhyaya 4, Shloka 31
Dhaumya’s Counsel on Incognito Conduct in a Royal Household (राजवसतौ आचरण-निति)
असूयन्ति हि राजानो नराननृतवादिन: । तथैव चावमन्यन्ते नरान् पण्डितमानिन:
asūyanti hi rājāno narān anṛtavādinaḥ | tathaiva cāvamanyante narān paṇḍitamāninaḥ ||
Os reis, de fato, passam a ressentir-se dos homens que proferem inverdades. Do mesmo modo, desprezam aqueles que apenas se imaginam eruditos. O conselho sugere que, na corte, deve-se evitar tanto a falsidade quanto a exibição pretensiosa de sabedoria, pois ambas atraem o desagrado real e corroem a própria posição.
धौग्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truthfulness and humility are essential in dealings with rulers: liars provoke a king’s resentment, and those who parade learning without genuine wisdom invite contempt.
Dhaumya is giving practical counsel about how one should conduct oneself in relation to kings and courts, warning against two behaviors—lying and self-important claims of scholarship—that lead to royal disfavor.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.