Shloka 2

Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)

Devanagari script

नेदं युक्ते महीपाल यादृशं वै त्वमुक्तवान्‌ | अधर्मश्न परो राजन्‌ पारुष्यं च निरर्थकम्‌

Transliteration

naidaṁ yukte mahīpāla yādṛśaṁ vai tvam uktavān | adharmas tvaṁ paro rājan pāruṣyaṁ ca nirarthakam ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Oh rey, lo que has dicho no es en modo alguno apropiado. Lanzar palabras ásperas e inútiles contra otro es una grave transgresión del dharma.»

Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• idam: this (statement/act)
• idam: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: idam
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• yuktaṃ: proper, fitting
• yuktaṃ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• mahīpāla: O king (protector of the earth)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahīpāla
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• yādṛśam: such as, of the kind that
• yādṛśam: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yādṛśa
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• vai: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tvad
• Form: nominative, singular

• uktavān: have said
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac
• Form: ktavatu, masculine, nominative, singular

• adharmaḥ: unrighteousness, sin
• adharmaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: adharma
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• hi: for, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi

• paraḥ: great, extreme
• paraḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• rājan: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• pāruṣyam: harshness, abusive speech
• pāruṣyam: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāruṣya
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• nirarthakam: purposeless, futile
• nirarthakam: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirarthaka
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājan (a king, addressed)
• mahīpāla (king/earth-protector, addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns purposeless harsh speech as adharma, emphasizing that ethical conduct includes restraint and propriety in words—especially for a king.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana rebukes a king for an improper remark, framing the utterance as unfitting and morally blameworthy because it is harsh and without constructive purpose.