“Even a pandit or a learned person comes to grief by giving instruction to a foolish disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife, and by excessive familiarity with the miserable.”

Short story on the sloka

In the old days, there was a wise man named Arjun. People admired him for his smart thinking and kind heart. They came from far away to learn from him.

Arjun had a student named Ravi. Ravi was young and eager to learn, but he often didn’t understand Arjun’s lessons. This made Arjun sad. He learned that teaching someone who doesn’t want to learn can be tough and make you feel bad.

In the same town lived a clever man named Vikram. He knew a lot of things, but he had a problem. His wife, Maya, was not nice. She was jealous and mean to him all the time. Vikram felt very sad because of Maya’s behavior. This showed that even smart people can feel hurt because of bad relationships.

But the saddest lesson came when Arjun tried to help people who were always unhappy. He wanted to make them feel better, but their sadness started to make him sad too. He learned that helping others is good, but you also need to take care of yourself.

From these stories, we learn:

Teaching the Unwilling: It’s not enough to possess wisdom; it must be received with an open heart and mind. Trying to impart knowledge to those who are not receptive can lead to frustration and disappointment.

Toxic Relationships: No amount of intellect can shield one from the pain of being in a harmful relationship. Whether it be with a spouse, friend, or family member, toxicity can seep into every aspect of life, causing untold suffering.

Emotional Boundaries: While compassion is noble, excessive immersion in the sorrow of others can take a toll on even the strongest of hearts. It’s essential to maintain healthy emotional boundaries to preserve one’s own well-being.

Sacrificing woman and money in Hard times.