Shloka 7
Ārjava, Satya, and the Virocana–Sudhanvan Exemplum
Udyoga-parva 35
मर्माण्यस्थीनि हृदयं तथासून् रूक्षा वाचो निर्दहन्तीह पुंसाम् । तस्माद् वाचमुषती रूक्षरूपां धर्मारामो नित्यशो वर्जयीत
marmāṇy asthīni hṛdayaṃ tathā sūn rūkṣā vāco nirdahantīha puṃsām | tasmād vācam uṣatīṃ rūkṣarūpāṃ dharmārāmo nityaśo varjayīta ||
Harte Worte in dieser Welt versengen die Lebenspunkte eines Menschen, seine Knochen, sein Herz und sogar den Lebensatem selbst. Darum soll, wer an Dharma Gefallen findet, stets von Rede abstehen, die brennend und rauer Natur ist.
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
Speech can injure as deeply as physical violence: harsh, abrasive words are said to burn a person’s most sensitive inner and vital supports. Hence, a dharma-minded person should practice restraint and avoid speech that wounds or inflames.
In Udyoga Parva, within a didactic exchange, the speaker Haṃsa offers moral instruction. This verse specifically warns about the destructive power of harsh speech and recommends disciplined, dharma-aligned communication.