Shloka 25

Devanagari script

नाक्रोशमृच्छेन्न वृथा वदेच्च न पैशुनं जनवादं च कुर्यात्‌ । सत्यव्रतो मितभाषो5प्रमत्त- स्तथास्य वाग्द्वारमथो सुगुप्तम्‌

Transliteration

nākrośam ṛcchen na vṛthā vadec ca na paiśunaṃ janavādaṃ ca kuryāt | satyavrato mitabhāṣo ’pramattaḥ tathāsya vāg-dvāram atho suguptham ||

Translation

يُعلِّم كابيلا أن المرء لا ينبغي أن يلجأ إلى السِّباب، ولا أن يتكلم عبثًا، ولا أن ينخرط في الوشاية أو ترويج الشائعات. بل عليه أن يلتزم الصدق، وأن يقتصد في الكلام، وأن يظل متيقظًا على الدوام؛ فبهذه الرياضة تُصان «بوابة الكلام»—أي ملكة النطق—صونًا محكمًا.

Word by Word

• {'na': 'not', 'ākrośa': 'abuse, insult', 'ṛcchati/ṛcchet': 'to fall into, to resort to (here: ‘should not resort to’)', 'vṛthā': 'in vain, uselessly, without purpose', 'vadet': 'should speak', 'paiśuna': 'slander, malicious tale-bearing', 'janavāda': 'public talk, rumor, hearsay', 'kuryāt': 'should do, should engage in', 'satyavrata': 'one vowed to truth

• devoted to truthful conduct', 'mitabhāṣa': 'one who speaks moderately

• restrained in speech', 'apramatta': 'vigilant, not negligent, attentive', 'vāg-dvāra': 'the gate/door of speech

• the speech-faculty as an entry-point of conduct', 'suguptha': 'well-guarded, well-protected'}

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• vāg (speech faculty)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Discipline of speech: avoid insults, pointless talk, slander, and rumors; practice truthfulness, brevity, and constant vigilance so that speech remains ethically guarded.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kapila is instructing on dharma and inner discipline, presenting speech as a ‘gate’ that must be protected through truth, restraint, and careful awareness.