मूर्खो हि जल्पतां पुंसां श्रुत्वा वाचः शुभाशुभाः ।
अशुभं वाक्यमादत्ते पुरीषमिव सूकरः ॥
प्राज्ञस्तु जल्पतां पुंसां श्रुत्वा वाचः शुभाशुभाः ।
गुणवद्वाक्यमादत्ते हंसः क्षीरमिवांभसः ॥
mūrkho hi jalpatāṁ puṁsāṁ śrutvā vācaḥ śubhāśubhāḥ |
aśubhaṁ vākyam ādatte purīṣam iva sūkaraḥ ||
prājñas tu jalpatāṁ puṁsāṁ śrutvā vācaḥ śubhāśubhāḥ |
guṇavad-vākyam ādatte haṁsaḥ kṣīram ivāṁbhasaḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 10.69.9–10)
“A fool, having heard a person’s beneficial and unbeneficial words, extracts the unbeneficial statements just as a hog extracts excrement [from mud]. One who is wise, however, having heard a person’s beneficial and unbeneficial words, extracts the valuable statements just as a swan extracts milk from water.”