Shloka 7
Brāhmaṇa-vandana: Criteria for Veneration, Disciplined Speech, and Protective Kingship (अनुशासनपर्व, अध्याय ८)
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत अनुशासनपर्वके अन्तर्गत दानधर्मपर्वमें कर्मफलका उपाख्यानविषयक सातवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
samyag-uccaritā vācaḥ śrūyante hi yudhiṣṭhira | śuśrūṣamāṇe nṛpatau pretya ceha sukhāvahāḥ ||
Bhishma said: “O Yudhishthira, well-spoken words are indeed heard and valued. When a king is eager to listen, such properly uttered speech becomes a source of happiness both here in this world and after death. Therefore, I esteem those Brahmanas who study with humility, restrain their senses, speak sweetly, and are endowed with both scriptural learning and good conduct—knowers of the imperishable Supreme—whose words, deep as thunderclouds and auspicious in meaning, delight assemblies like the calls of swans.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that rightly spoken, auspicious, and ethically grounded speech—especially from disciplined and learned persons—benefits both the present life and the afterlife, provided the listener (notably a king) is genuinely attentive.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction setting, Bhishma addresses Yudhishthira, praising the value of good counsel and describing the kind of learned, self-controlled Brahmanas whose deep and pleasing words should be heard in royal assemblies.