Shloka 11
Prahlāda–Indra Saṃvāda: Kartṛtva (Agency) and Svabhāva (Nature) in the Causation of Karma
कल्कापेतामपरुषामनृशंसामपैशुनाम् । ईदृगल्पं च वक्तव्यमविक्षिप्तेन चेतसा
kalkāpetām aparuṣām anṛśaṃsām apaiśunām | īdṛg-alpaṃ ca vaktavyam avikṣiptena cetasā ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Deben decirse palabras libres de impureza, no ásperas, no crueles y no manchadas por la calumnia. Incluso esa palabra debe pronunciarse en pequeña medida y con una mente firme y no dispersa—sobre todo por quien percibe la sutileza del dharma y desea decir lo verdaderamente provechoso».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Speech should be ethically purified: truthful yet non-harmful, gentle, compassionate, and free from slander; moreover, even good speech should be measured and spoken with a steady, undistracted mind.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and proper conduct; here he gives a rule of disciplined speech as part of ethical living and self-mastery.