Shloka 40
वयस्यत्वात् तु ते ब्रह्मन्नपराधमिमं क्षमे । नेदृशं तु पुनर्वाच्यं यदि जीवितुमिच्छसि,“क्या कहना चाहिये और क्या नहीं, इसका तुझे ज्ञान नहीं है। निश्चय ही तू अपनी बातोंसे मेरा अपमान कर रहा है। भला, मेरा पुत्र भीष्म-द्रोण आदि समस्त वीरोंको क्यों नहीं जीत लेगा? ब्रह्मन! मित्र होनेके नाते ही मैं तुम्हारे इस अपराधको क्षमा करता हूँ। यदि जीनेकी इच्छा हो, तो फिर ऐसी बात न करना”
vayasyatvāt tu te brahmann aparādham imaṁ kṣame | nedṛśaṁ tu punar vācyaṁ yadi jīvitum icchasi ||
“O Brāhmaṇa, because of our friendship of long standing, I forgive you this offence. But if you wish to live, do not speak such words again.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights restraint in speech and respect: even when forgiveness is granted due to friendship, harmful or insulting words should not be repeated. It frames speech as ethically consequential—so serious that repeating it is warned against as life-threatening in a tense, honor-bound context.
A speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) responds to a Brāhmaṇa who has spoken offensively. The speaker pardons the offence because of their long-standing friendship, yet issues a stern warning not to speak in that manner again, implying the situation is volatile and such speech could provoke deadly consequences.