Shloka 16
अध्याय १२८: शिव–उमा संवादः — तिलोत्तमा, श्मशान-मेध्यता, तथा चातुर्वर्ण्य-धर्मः
Chapter 128: Śiva–Umā Dialogue—Tilottamā, the Ritual Valence of the Śmaśāna, and the Fourfold Duty-Code
प्रज्ञासम्भावितो नूनमप्रजञ्जैरुपसंहित: । हीयमानो$सि दुर्वत्तैस्तेनासि हरिण: कृश:
prajñāsambhāvito nūnam aprajñajñair upasaṁhitaḥ | hīyamāno 'si durvṛttais tenāsi hariṇaḥ kṛśaḥ ||
ব্ৰাহ্মণে ক’লে—“নিশ্চয় তুমি তোমাৰ প্ৰজ্ঞাৰ বাবে সন্মানৰ যোগ্য; কিন্তু তুমি বিবেচনাহীন লোকৰ মাজত ঘেৰ খাই আছা। দুৰ্বৃত্তসকলৰ তিৰস্কাৰে তুমি সদায় ক্ষীণ হৈছা; সেই চিন্তাৰ ফলতেই তুমি হৰিণৰ দৰে কৃশ আৰু ফেঁকাই হৈ পৰিছা।”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
True worth (prajñā) may be ignored or mocked by the ignorant and the immoral; one should recognize that social contempt can cause inner distress and physical decline, and thus cultivate steadiness rather than being consumed by others’ judgments.
A Brāhmaṇa addresses someone of evident intelligence, observing that despite being deserving of respect, he is ridiculed by the unwise and slighted by the wicked; the speaker explains the person’s deer-like thinness as the result of worry and humiliation.