अहितात्प्रतिषेधश्च हिते चानुप्रवर्तनम् ।
व्यसने चापरित्यागः त्रिविधं मित्रलक्षणम् ॥
ahitāt pratiṣedhaś ca hite cānupravartanam |
vyasane cāparityāgaḥ trividhaṁ mitra-lakṣaṇam ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 4100; Buddha-carita: 4.64)
“The characteristics of a friend are threefold: (1) to restrain one from what is harmful, (2) to encourage one in what is beneficial, and (3) to not desert one in adversity.”