Shloka 67
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
त्रासयन्निव देवेन्द्र वाग्भिस्तक्षसि मामिह
trāsayann iva devendra vāgbhis takṣasi mām iha
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô Indra parmi les dieux, on dirait que tu cherches à m’effrayer ; ici, par tes paroles, c’est comme si tu me sculptais—me taillant de mots acérés.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical power of speech: words can wound like tools, instill fear, and shape a listener’s mind. It implicitly cautions that instruction should be truthful yet measured, avoiding needless intimidation or verbal injury.
Bhīṣma, in the course of his instruction in Śānti Parva, addresses the interlocutor with the honorific “Devendra,” remarking that the other’s words feel cutting and fear-inducing—like being carved by sharp speech—signaling the intensity or severity of the admonition.