Shloka 5
न मर्मगां जातु वक्तासि रूक्षां नोपश्रुतिं कटुकां नोत मुक्ताम् । धर्मारामामर्थवतीमहिंस्रा- मेतां वाचं तव जानीम सूत,सूत! तुम्हारे मुखसे कभी कोई ऐसी बात नहीं निकलती, जो कड़वी होनेके साथ ही मर्मपर आघात करनेवाली हो। तुम नीरस और अप्रासंगिक बात भी नहीं बोलते। हम अच्छी तरह जानते हैं कि तुम्हारा यह कथन धर्मानुकूल होनेके कारण मनोहर, अर्थयुक्त तथा हिंसाकी भावनासे रहित है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
na marmagāṃ jātu vaktāsi rūkṣāṃ nopśrutiṃ kaṭukāṃ nota muktām |
dharmārāmām arthavatīm ahiṃsrām etāṃ vācaṃ tava jānīma sūta, sūta ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O Sūta, never do you utter words that strike at a vital spot—harsh, bitter, or carelessly let loose. Nor do you speak what is dry or irrelevant. We know well that your speech is in harmony with dharma: pleasing to the righteous, meaningful in purpose, and free from any intent to harm.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds ‘right speech’: words should not be cruel or strike at another’s vulnerable core, should avoid bitter gossip or careless utterance, and should be aligned with dharma—pleasant in a righteous way, meaningful, and non-harmful in intention.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a Sūta respectfully, commending him for consistently speaking in a dharmic, purposeful, and non-violent manner—setting a moral tone for counsel amid rising conflict.