Shloka 17
अव्यक्तकालमान-निर्णयः
Measures of Time from the Unmanifest; Creation, Elements, and the Primacy of Mind
यो नात्युक्त: प्राह रूक्ष॑ प्रियं वा यो वा हतो न प्रतिहन्ति धैर्यात् । पापं च यो नेच्छति तस्य हन्तु- स्तस्येह देवा: स्पृहयन्ति नित्यम्
yo nātyuktaḥ prāha rūksaṁ priyaṁ vā yo vā hato na pratihanti dhairyāt | pāpaṁ ca yo necchati tasya hantuḥ tasyaiha devāḥ spṛhayanti nityam ||
The Haṃsa said: He who, even when addressed with harsh words, does not reply with either cruelty or flattery; and who, even when struck, does not strike back out of steadfast self-control; and who does not even wish evil upon the one who harms him—such a great-souled person is ever longed for by the gods themselves, eager to meet him.
हंस उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises the highest ethical restraint: do not answer harsh speech with harshness or even with manipulative pleasantness, do not retaliate when harmed, and do not even wish evil for the aggressor. Such inner steadiness (dhairya) and non-ill-will are presented as divine-worthy virtues.
In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, the speaker Haṃsa delivers a moral instruction defining the conduct of a truly great person. The statement functions as a criterion of saintly character, elevating non-retaliation and freedom from malice as qualities admired even by the gods.