Shloka 20

Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum

Udyoga-parva 35

Devanagari script

उत्तमानेव सेवेत प्राप्तकाले तु मध्यमान्‌ । अधर्मांस्तु न सेवेत य इच्छेद्‌ भूतिमात्मन:

Transliteration

uttamān eva seveta prāptakāle tu madhyamān | adharmāṁs tu na seveta ya icched bhūtim ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

欲求自身福祉兴盛者，当唯事奉至善之人；时势所迫，亦可事奉中等之士。然决不可事奉不义之徒，因为与其相系，必损真福并败坏德行名节。

Word by Word

• uttamān: the best (persons)
• uttamān: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• eva: only/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva

• sevet: should serve
• Type: Verb
• Root: sev (सेव्)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• prāptakāle: at the time when it has come/arrived (when occasion arises)
• prāptakāle: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāpta-kāla
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• tu: but/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu

• madhyamān: the middling (persons)
• madhyamān: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhyama
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• adharmān: the unrighteous (persons)
• adharmān: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: adharma
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• tu: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• sevet: should serve
• Type: Verb
• Root: sev (सेव्)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• icchet: should desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (इष्)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• bhūtim: prosperity/advancement
• bhūtim: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūti
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ātmanaḥ: of oneself
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

हंस उवाच

Characters & Entities

• हंस (Haṃsa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Choose association and service wisely: align with the excellent, accept the middling only when necessary, and never serve the unrighteous—because prosperity and true welfare depend on dharmic company.

What is happening in the narrative?

Haṃsa delivers a didactic maxim within Udyoga Parva’s counsel-oriented setting, emphasizing prudent social alignment as a means to safeguard both ethical integrity and worldly flourishing.