दुर्जनेन समं सख्यं वैरञ्चाऽपि न कारयेत् ।
उष्णो दहति चाङ्गारः शीतः कृष्णायते करम् ॥
उष्णो दहति चाङ्गारः शीतः कृष्णायते करम् ॥
durjanena samaM sakhyaM vaira~nchA~pi na kArayet |
uShNo dahati chA~NgAraH shItaH kRRiShNAyate karam ||(ITRANS)
durjanena samaṃ sakhyaṃ vairañcā'pi na kārayet ।
uṣṇo dahati cāṅgāraḥ śītaḥ kṛṣṇāyate karam ॥(IAST)
How should we deal with an evil person? Maybe if we are friends with them, we may get benefits of their evil schemes? Or should we be enemy to them?
A piece of burning coal, cinder, will burn our hands. But a cold coal blackens the hand, makes it dirty. Similarly, making enemy of an evil person will cause us harm. Making friends with them will give us ill-repute. So we should avoid them altogether as much as possible.
This advice is in generic situations. It is not always possible or right. For example, someone has to confront the wrong doer. Someone has to stand up for the right thing. When we are able to, we should. Those who are in position of power and to do something, should indeed use it to get rid of evil. But, it is not always possible.
So, ordinarily, it is best to just avoid evil people. Don't ask favors, don't do favors, just avoid and do your work. Life is too short to makes evil enemies or make dirty one's own reputation.
Another variation is found as:
दुर्जनेन समं वैरं प्रीतिं चापि न कारयेत् ।
उष्णो दहति चाङ्गारः शीतः कृष्णायते करम् ॥
उष्णो दहति चाङ्गारः शीतः कृष्णायते करम् ॥
and now the language aspects of the shloka -
दुर्जनेन = durjanena = duH + jana + -ena = bad + person + -by
= by evil person
समं = samam = equal
सख्यं = sakhyam = friendship (sakhI = friend)
वैरञ्चाऽपि = vaira~nchA'pi = vairam + cha + api = animosity + and + also
= and also animosity
न = na = not
कारयेत् = kArayet = should do
उष्णो = uShNo = uShNaH = hot (due to burning)
दहति = dahati = burns
चाङ्गारः = chA~NgAraH = cha + a~NgAraH = and burning coal
शीतः = shItaH = cold
कृष्णायते = kRiShNAyate = blackens (kRiShna = black)
करम् = hand
(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
