Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मित्रबुद्धया च गोमायुं सान्त्वयित्वा प्रसाद्य च । दोषैस्तु समता नेतुमैच्छन्नशुभबुद्धय:

Transliteration

mitrabuddhayā ca gomāyuṃ sāntvayitvā prasādya ca | doṣais tu samatā netum aicchann aśubhabuddhayaḥ ||

Translation

அசுத்த நோக்கமுடைய அவர்கள் நண்பன் போல் நடித்து கோமாயுவை ஆறுதல்படுத்தி மகிழ்வித்தனர்; ஆனால் குற்றங்களைச் சுட்டிக் காட்டி அவனைத் தங்கள் நிலைக்கு இறக்கி சமமாக்க விரும்பினர்.

Word by Word

मित्रबुद्धयाwith a friendly intention

चand

गोमायुंthe jackal

सान्त्वयित्वाhaving consoled

प्रसाद्यhaving pleased / having pacified

चand

दोषैःby faults / with defects

तुbut

समताequality / evenness

नेतुम्to lead / to bring

ऐच्छन्he wished

अशुभबुद्धयःevil-minded (persons)

Speaker

शार्टूल उवाच

Characters & Entities

श

शार्टूल (Śārṭūla)

ग

गोमायु (jackal)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns against counterfeit friendship: soothing words and outward goodwill can conceal a harmful motive. Seeking “equality” by dragging others down through fault-finding is unethical; true parity should be pursued by self-improvement and virtue, not by blame and manipulation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śārṭūla describes a character who approaches a jackal in the guise of friendship, pacifies and pleases him, and then—driven by impure intent—tries to reduce him to the same level by emphasizing defects, using criticism as a tool of control.