Shloka 17
Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
नानर्थक॑ सान्त्वयति प्रतिज्ञाय ददाति च । रन्ध्रं परस्थ जानाति य: स मध्यमपूरुष:,जो झूठी सान्त्वना नहीं देता, देनेकी प्रतिज्ञा करके दे ही देता है, दूसरोंके दोषोंको जानता है, वह मध्यम श्रेणीका पुरुष है
nānarthakaḥ sāntvayati pratijñāya dadāti ca | randhraṃ parastha jānāti yaḥ sa madhyamapūruṣaḥ ||
Người không đem lời an ủi rỗng tuếch, người đã hứa thì nhất định thực sự trao cho, và người hiểu rõ những chỗ yếu, những lỗi lầm nơi kẻ khác—người như vậy được xem là bậc người trung đẳng (thực tế, vừa phải).
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ethical speech and reliability: do not soothe others with hollow words; if you promise, fulfill it by giving; and be perceptive about others’ weaknesses—this combination marks a ‘middle-grade’ person in the text’s moral classification.
Haṃsa is describing standards of human character by listing observable traits. Here he defines the ‘madhyama’ (middling) type through practical virtues—non-deceptive consolation, promise-keeping, and awareness of others’ faults or vulnerabilities.