Shloka 59

Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum

Udyoga-parva 35

Devanagari script

तन्तव:ः प्यायिता नित्यं तनवो बहुला: समा: । बहून्‌ बहुत्वादायासान्‌ सहन्तीत्युपमा सताम्‌

Transliteration

tantavaḥ pyāyitā nityaṃ tanavo bahulāḥ samāḥ | bahūn bahutvād āyāsān sahantīty upamā satām ||

Translation

毗度罗说：“丝缕虽细，若常加滋养，又聚为众多，便因其众而能承受许多牵扯与拉力。此正可比于贤善之人：纵使个体柔弱，凭借同心合力、恒常扶持与群体之力，亦能担荷巨大的压力。”

Word by Word

• तन्तवः: threads, fibers
• तन्तवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्तु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्यायिताः: nourished, made to grow
• प्यायिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्यायित (प्यै/प्या + णिच्; past passive participle)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नित्यम्: always, constantly
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• तनवः: slender bodies/creepers (thin shoots)
• तनवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• बहुलाः: many, abundant
• बहुलाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुल
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• समाः: equal, uniform (together/collectively)
• समाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• बहुत्वात्: because of multitude, due to being many
• बहुत्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुत्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• आयासान्: strains, hardships
• आयासान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सहन्ति: they endure, bear
• सहन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उपमा: simile, comparison
• उपमा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपमा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सताम्: of the good/virtuous people
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• sat (the virtuous/righteous people)
• threads (tantavaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Individual weakness can be overcome through unity and continual strengthening; the virtuous endure hardships by collective support and steadfastness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva, Vidura offers moral-political counsel; here he uses a simile of slender threads becoming strong when many and well-nourished to advise resilience and the power of united righteous conduct amid mounting conflict.