Shloka 79
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय 33: धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर संवादः (विदुरनीतिः)
कर्णिनालीकनाराचान् निर्हरन्ति शरीरत: । वाक्शल्यस्तु न निर्हर्तु शक्यो हृदिशयो हि सः
karṇinālīkanārācān nirharanti śarīrataḥ | vākśalyas tu na nirhartu śakyo hṛdiśayo hi saḥ ||
Dice Vidura: Las flechas con púas y los dardos de punta de hierro pueden extraerse del cuerpo; pero la espina de la palabra cruel no puede arrancarse, pues se aloja en el corazón. La enseñanza es que la herida verbal deja un daño más hondo y duradero que el golpe físico; por ello, la contención en el hablar es una exigencia central del dharma.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Physical injuries may heal when the weapon is removed, but harsh words become an inner ‘thorn’ that remains in the heart; therefore one should practice restraint, truthfulness, and gentleness in speech as part of dharma.
In the counsel of Vidura during the tense pre-war negotiations of the Udyoga Parva, he warns that verbal cruelty causes lasting damage—often more enduring than bodily wounds—urging ethical conduct and measured speech amid conflict.