Shloka 43

Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum

Udyoga-parva 35

Devanagari script

जो मित्रोंसे सत्कार पाकर और उनकी सहायतासे कृतकार्य होकर भी उनके नहीं होते, ऐसे कृतघ्नोंके मरनेपर उनका मांस मांसभोजी जनन्‍्तु भी नहीं खाते ।।

Transliteration

arcayed eva mitrāṇi sati vāsati vā dhane | nānarthayan prajānāti mitrāṇāṃ sāraphalgutām ||

Translation

毗度罗教诲：当福运在身、财富尚存之时，当敬奉朋友。未曾为厄运所挫者，不能真正明白朋友的力量与价值——人生转入逆境之际，朋友方成不可或缺的支柱。言外之意，对此等朋友忘恩负义，乃重大的伦理过失。

Word by Word

• अर्चयेत्: should honor/worship
• अर्चयेत्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च्
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Optative, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• मित्राणि: friends
• मित्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सति: when (wealth) exists; in the presence (of)
• सति: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वासति: dwells/abides
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: Lat, Present, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• धने: in wealth; when there is wealth
• धने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अनर्थयन्: not harming; not acting against (them)
• अनर्थयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनर्थयत्
• Form: Shatr (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रजानाति: knows/recognizes
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Lat, Present, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मित्राणाम्: of friends
• मित्राणाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• सारफल्गुताम्: the true worth (lit. essence and insignificance/quality)
• सारफल्गुताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारफल्गुता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• friends (mitrāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Honor and value friends while fortune lasts; only adversity reveals the true substance and reliability of friendship, so ingratitude toward helpers is a serious moral fault.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers moral-political counsel; here he reflects on friendship and gratitude, warning that those who have not faced hardship fail to recognize how crucial friends are when misfortune arrives.