Shloka 10
Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
Devanagari script
यदि सन्त॑ सेवति यद्यसन्तं तपस्विनं यदि वा स्तेनमेव । वासो यथा रड्रवशं प्रयाति तथा स तेषां वशमभ्युपैति
Transliteration
yadi santaṁ sevati yady asantaṁ tapasvinaṁ yadi vā stenam eva | vāso yathā raṅgavaśaṁ prayāti tathā sa teṣāṁ vaśam abhyupaiti ||
Translation
天鹅（Haṃsa）说道：如布入染，随所染之色而变；同样，一个人若事奉善人或恶人，事奉苦行者或甚至盗贼，便会落入其影响之中，被其品性所塑造。
Word by Word
यदिif
यदि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि
सन्तम्a good (person)
सन्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसत्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
सेवतिserves/associates with
सेवति:
TypeVerb
Rootसेव्
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
यदिif
यदि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि
असन्तम्a bad (person)
असन्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअसत्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
तपस्विनम्an ascetic
तपस्विनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootतपस्विन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
यदिif
यदि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि
वाor
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
स्तेनम्a thief
स्तेनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootस्तेन
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
वासःcloth/garment
वासः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवासस्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
यथाas/just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
रक्तवशम्the state of being under red (dye), i.e., redness
रक्तवशम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootरक्तवश
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
प्रयातिgoes/comes to (a state)
प्रयाति:
TypeVerb
Rootया (प्र-या)
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
तथाso/in the same way
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तेषाम्of them
तेषाम्:
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural
वशम्control/power
वशम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवश
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
अभ्युपैतिapproaches/comes under
अभ्युपैति:
TypeVerb
Rootइ (अभि-उप-इ)
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
Speaker
हंस उवाच
Characters & Entities
ह
हंस (Haṁsa)व
वस्त्र/वासः (cloth/garment)स
सज्जन (the virtuous)अ
असज्जन (the wicked)त
तपस्वी (ascetic)च
चोर/स्तेन (thief)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
One’s character is strongly shaped by whom one serves and keeps company with; association acts like dye on cloth, imparting the qualities—good or bad—of those attended.
Haṁsa delivers a moral instruction using a vivid simile: as cloth becomes the color it is dyed, a person becomes influenced by the nature of those he serves—whether virtuous, wicked, ascetic, or criminal.