Shloka 123
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
नवनीतं ह्ृदयं ब्राह्मणस्य वाचि क्षुरो निहितस्तीक्षणधार: । तदुभयमेतद्ू विपरीत क्षत्रियस्य वाड्नवनीतं हृदयं तीक्ष्णधारम् | इति,यह सुनकर पौष्यने उत्तंकसे कहा--“मैं शापको लौटानेमें असमर्थ हूँ, मेरा क्रोध अभीतक शान्त नहीं हो रहा है। क्या आप यह नहीं जानते कि ब्राह्मणका हृदय मक्खनके समान मुलायम और जल्दी पिघलनेवाला होता है? केवल उसकी वाणीमें ही तीखी धारवाले छुरेका-सा प्रभाव होता है। किंतु ये दोनों ही बातें क्षत्रियके लिये विपरीत हैं। उसकी वाणी तो नवनीतके समान कोमल होती है, लेकिन हृदय पैनी धारवाले छुरेके समान तीखा होता है
navanītaṁ hṛdayaṁ brāhmaṇasya vāci kṣuro nihitas tīkṣṇadhāraḥ | tad ubhayam etad viparītaṁ kṣatriyasya vāg navanītaṁ hṛdayaṁ tīkṣṇadhāram ||
“A brāhmaṇa’s heart is like fresh butter—soft and quick to melt—while in his speech there lies a razor with a keen edge. But in a kṣatriya these two are reversed: his speech is butter-soft, yet his heart is sharp like a razor.” In the narrative, this contrast is invoked to explain why a curse, once uttered in anger, is difficult to withdraw: gentleness may dwell within, yet words can cut with decisive, irreversible force.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches ethical vigilance in speech: inner gentleness does not prevent words from causing lasting harm. It contrasts stereotyped dispositions—brāhmaṇa: soft-hearted but sharp-tongued; kṣatriya: gentle-spoken but hard-hearted—to show that dharma requires mastering both inner emotion and outward expression, especially when anger tempts one to utter irreversible words (such as a curse).
A speaker explains why he cannot retract a curse and why his anger has not subsided. To justify the situation, he cites a traditional contrast between brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas: the brāhmaṇa’s speech can be razor-sharp even if his heart is soft, implying that once harsh words are released, their effect may be difficult to undo.