Shloka 9

Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma

Devanagari script

सुपूरा वै कुनदिका सुपूरो मूषिकाउ्जलि: । सुसंतोष: कापुरुष: स्वल्पकेनैव तुष्यति

Transliteration

supūrā vai kunadikā supūro mūṣikāñjaliḥ | susantoṣaḥ kāpuruṣaḥ svalpakenaiva tuṣyati ||

Translation

ดุจลำธารเล็กที่เต็มได้ง่ายด้วยน้ำเพียงน้อย และดุจกำมือของหนูที่เต็มได้ด้วยเมล็ดพืชเพียงนิดเดียว ฉันใด คนขี้ขลาดก็พอใจได้โดยง่าย—ยินดีด้วยสิ่งเพียงเล็กน้อย ฉันนั้น

Word by Word

• सुपूरा: easily filled / well-filled
• सुपूरा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुपूर (सु+पूर)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• कुनदिका: a small river/stream
• कुनदिका: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुनदिका
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सुपूरः: easily filled / well-filled
• सुपूरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुपूर (सु+पूर)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मूषिक-अञ्जलिः: a mouse’s handful (a very small measure)
• मूषिक-अञ्जलिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूषिक + अञ्जलि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सुसंतोषः: easily satisfied / readily content
• सुसंतोषः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुसंतोष (सु+संतोष)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कापुरुषः: a coward / base man
• कापुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कापुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वल्पकेन: with a little (thing/amount)
• स्वल्पकेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वल्पक
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: only / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तुष्यति: is satisfied
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva (the Wind-god)
• kunadikā (small stream)
• mūṣikāñjali (mouse’s handful/measure)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse criticizes cowardice as a mindset that settles for minimal gain or comfort; such a person is easily appeased and thus unfit for demanding duties where courage and perseverance are required.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva delivers a pointed moral observation using two everyday images—a small stream and a mouse’s tiny handful—to illustrate how quickly a coward becomes satisfied, implying a contrast with the steadfastness expected in the larger conflict setting of the Udyoga Parva.