Shloka 25

तृष्णाक्षय-उपदेशः

Instruction on the Cessation of Craving

Devanagari script

नाक्रोशमृच्छेन्न वृथा वदेच्च न पैशुनं जनवादं च कुर्यात्‌ । सत्यव्रतो मितभाषो5प्रमत्त- स्तथास्य वाग्द्वारमथो सुगुप्तम्‌

Transliteration

nākrośam ṛcchen na vṛthā vadec ca na paiśunaṃ janavādaṃ ca kuryāt | satyavrato mitabhāṣo ’pramattaḥ tathāsya vāg-dvāram atho suguptham ||

Translation

Kapila enseigne qu’il ne faut pas recourir à l’injure, ni parler en pure perte, ni se livrer à la médisance ou à la propagation de rumeurs. Qu’on soit voué à la vérité, qu’on parle avec retenue et qu’on demeure sans cesse vigilant ; par une telle discipline, la « porte » de la parole—la faculté de parler—se trouve solidement gardée.

Word by Word

• {'na': 'not', 'ākrośa': 'abuse, insult', 'ṛcchati/ṛcchet': 'to fall into, to resort to (here: ‘should not resort to’)', 'vṛthā': 'in vain, uselessly, without purpose', 'vadet': 'should speak', 'paiśuna': 'slander, malicious tale-bearing', 'janavāda': 'public talk, rumor, hearsay', 'kuryāt': 'should do, should engage in', 'satyavrata': 'one vowed to truth

• devoted to truthful conduct', 'mitabhāṣa': 'one who speaks moderately

• restrained in speech', 'apramatta': 'vigilant, not negligent, attentive', 'vāg-dvāra': 'the gate/door of speech

• the speech-faculty as an entry-point of conduct', 'suguptha': 'well-guarded, well-protected'}

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• vāg (speech faculty)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Discipline of speech: avoid insults, pointless talk, slander, and rumors; practice truthfulness, brevity, and constant vigilance so that speech remains ethically guarded.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kapila is instructing on dharma and inner discipline, presenting speech as a ‘gate’ that must be protected through truth, restraint, and careful awareness.