Teaching

yo hy adharmeṇa vibrūyād gṛhṇīyād vāpy adharmataḥ

yo hy adharmeṇa vibrūyād gṛhṇīyād vāpy adharmataḥ |
hīyetāṁ tāv ubhau kṣipraṁ syātāṁ vā vairiṇāv ubhau ||
(Mahābhārata: 9.50.46)

“One who shall teach undharmicly [i.e., without accepting the student as a disciple] and one who shall acquire [knowledge] undharmicly [i.e., without acceptance of discipleship to the teacher]—both shall quickly abandon one another or become enemies of one another.”

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tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya satsu sajjeta buddhimān

tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya satsu sajjeta buddhimān |
santa evāsya chhindanti mano-vyāsaṅgam uktibhiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.26.26; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.318; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.59)

“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava:] Thus, an intelligent person should leave bad association and associate with the sat. Only the sat cut away the undue attachment of one’s mind with their words.”

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vācyaṁ śraddhā-sametasya pṛcchateś ca viśeṣataḥ

vācyaṁ śraddhā-sametasya pṛcchateś ca viśeṣataḥ |
proktaṁ śraddhā-vihīnasya araṇya-ruditopamam ||
(Pañcatantra: 1.424)

“Advice should be given to one who has trust [in you] and who has asked in particular [for it]. Speaking to someone who has no trust is like crying in the forest [i.e., it is futile].”

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upadeśo na dātavyo yādṛśe tādṛśe nare

upadeśo na dātavyo yādṛśe tādṛśe nare |
(Pañcatantra: 1.421)

“Advice should not be given to any sort of person [i.e., it should not be given to anyone indiscriminately without consideration regarding what is suitable for that person in particular].”

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svabhāvo nopadeśena śakyate kartum anyathā

svabhāvo nopadeśena śakyate kartum anyathā |
sutaptam api pānīyaṁ punar gacchati śītalam ||
yadi syac chītalo vahniḥ śītāṁśur dahanātmakaḥ |
na svabhāvo’tra martyānāṁ śakyate kartum anyathā ||
(Hitopadeśa: Mitra-bheda, 280–281)

“The svabhāva cannot be changed by instructions. Although [it may be made] very hot [for a certain period of time], water again [inevitably] goes cold. [Even] If fire were to become cold, and the moon [lit. ‘that which has cool rays’] were to become fiery, [still] the svabhāvas of mortal beings in this world could not be changed.”

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upadeśo hi mūrkhānāṁ

upadeśo hi mūrkhānāṁ prakopāya na śāntaye |
payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujangānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam ||
(Pañcatantra: 1.420)

“Advice leads [only] to angering fools, not pacifying them. Drinking milk only increases the poison of snakes.”

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antaḥsāra-vihīnānām upadeśo na jāyate

antaḥsāra-vihīnānām upadeśo na jāyate |
malayācala-saṁsargān na veṇuś candanāyate ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1604; Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 10.8)

“Instruction should not be given to those who lack inner substance. Bamboo does not become sandalwood [just] by proximity to the Malaya Mountains.”

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