देशे यं सुजनप्राया लोकाः साधुं प्रचक्षते । स विशिष्टः स साधुः स्यात्तं प्रयत्नेन संश्रयेत् ॥ २० ॥
dēśē yaṁ sujanaprāyā lōkāḥ sādhuṁ pracakṣatē | sa viśiṣṭaḥ sa sādhuḥ syāttaṁ prayatnēna saṁśrayēt || 20 ||
Translation
Whom, in a land, people who are mostly good call good: he who is distinguished, he is good; take refuge with him with care.
Word by word
- dēśē
- in a land
- yaṁ
- whom
- sujana
- good people
- prāyā
- mostly
- lōkāḥ
- people
- sādhuṁ
- good
- pracakṣatē
- call
- sa
- he
- viśiṣṭaḥ
- distinguished
- sādhuḥ
- good
- syāt
- is
- taṁ
- with him
- prayatnēna
- with care
- saṁśrayēt
- take refuge
Meaning
Who is a sādhu, a good man, whose company one should seek? The commentary: the one whom good people, established in the conduct taught by the Veda and tradition, call good; and if he is also distinguished by knowledge, dispassion and the other virtues, he is a sādhu. Seek him out with care. The test is twofold: the judgment of the good, and his own qualities.