qualities cannot be turned into rudeness and cruelty just because they happen to be in the company of evil people

काकैः सहविवृद्धस्य कोकिलस्य कला गिरः।

खलसङ्गेऽपि नैष्ठुर्यं कल्याणप्रकृतेः कुतः॥

महसुभाषितसङ्ग्रहं ९३२७

kākaiḥ sahaviavṛddhasya kokilasya kalā giraḥ|

khalasaṅge'pi naiṣṭhuryaṁ kalyāṇaprakṛteḥ kutaḥ||

mahasubhāṣitasaṅgrahaṁ 9327

Good and gifted beings can never give up their innate qualities even if they are forced to live in unfavourable circumstances and in the company of ruffians..

The above subhashitam quoted from the collection of epic proportions.. Mahasubhashita Sangraham underlines this idea..

The sloka appears to be found in many compilations.. like that of Sarngadhara..

I have taken this from Mahasubhashita Sangraham edited and compiled by professor Steinback..

meaning of the slokam

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The voice of the Cuckoo remains very sweet even if it is growing in the company of crows.

For those who are having fine qualities by nature, such qualities cannot be turned into rudeness and cruelty just because they happen to be in the company of evil people..

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Of course the mother cuckoo is playing foul by laying her eggs in the nest prepared by the mother crow, and her eggs are hatched in the house of the crows.. We cannot blame the new baby cuckoo for that.. The young cuckoo does not know how to cheat.. It can only sing.. And the baby crows or the grown up crows can never sing..

The company of bad people will have some disturbing influence on the good ones.. but still, it would seem that the good people cannot turn bad beyond a certain level..

काकैः सह in the company of crows

विवृद्धस्य allowed to grow up

कोकिलस्य of the cuckoo

गिरः sound

कला एव वर्तन्ते. remain beautiful and sweet alone

कल्याणप्रकृतेः for one who is of sweet nature intrinsically

खलसङ्गे अपि even in the company of rude persons

नैष्ठुर्यं roughness, cruelty

कुतः भवति ? How can happen?