Shloka 12

Devanagari script

न वाच्य: परिवादो<यं न श्रोतव्य:ः कथड्चन । कर्णावथ पिधातव्यौ प्रस्थेयं चान्यतो भवेत्‌,किसीकी भी निन्दा नहीं करनी चाहिये और न उसे किसी प्रकार सुनना ही चाहिये। यदि कोई दूसरेकी निन्‍दा करता हो तो वहाँ अपने कान बंद कर ले अथवा वहाँसे उठकर अन्यत्र चला जाय

Transliteration

na vācyaḥ parivādo ’yaṃ na śrotavyaḥ kathaṃcana | karṇāv atha pidhātavyau prasthēyaṃ cānyato bhavet ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “This kind of slander should neither be spoken nor listened to in any way. If someone is speaking ill of another, one should close one’s ears—or else rise from that place and go elsewhere.”

Word by Word

नnot

वाच्यःto be spoken / should be said

परिवादःslander, backbiting

अयम्this

नnot

श्रोतव्यःto be heard / should be listened to

कथंचनin any way, at all

कर्णौtwo ears

अथthen / or else

पिधातव्यौto be closed (should be shut)

प्रस्थेयम्one should depart / should go away

चand

अन्यतःelsewhere, to another place

भवेत्should be / should become

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should practice restraint in speech and hearing: do not engage in slander, do not entertain it by listening, and if it arises, actively avoid it by closing the ears or leaving.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and proper conduct, Bhīṣma advises the listener on ethical behavior, specifically how to respond when others indulge in backbiting.