मौने ज्ञानफलावाप्तिदनिन च यशो महत् | वाम्मित्वं सत्यवाक्येन परत्र च महीयते
maune jñānaphalāvāptir dānaṁ ca yaśo mahat | vākmitvaṁ satyavākyena paratra ca mahīyate ||
Through silence one attains the fruit of true knowledge; through giving, one gains great renown. By speaking truthfully one becomes eloquent, and in the world beyond as well one is honored and exalted.
नाग उवाच
The verse links specific virtues to their ethical and spiritual results: silence (mauna) ripens into the fruit of knowledge, charity (dāna) yields lasting good fame, and truthful speech (satya-vākya) produces eloquence and honor both in this life and the next.
A Nāga speaks in a didactic context within Śānti Parva, offering concise instruction on conduct—highlighting restraint in speech, generosity, and truthfulness as practices that generate merit and elevate one’s standing here and hereafter.