Shloka 9
गान्धारीपुत्रोत्पत्तिः — The Birth of Gāndhārī’s Hundred Sons (and Yuyutsu); Omens and Counsel on Succession
तथा तु रक्षिणां तेषां ब्रुवतां स तपोधन: । न किंचिद् वचन राजन्नब्रवीत् साध्वसाधु वा,राजन! उन रक्षकोंके इस प्रकार पूछनेपर तपस्याके धनी उन महर्षिने भला-बुरा कुछ भी नहीं कहा
tathā tu rakṣiṇāṃ teṣāṃ bruvatāṃ sa tapodhanaḥ | na kiṃcid vacanaṃ rājann abravīt sādhv asādhu vā ||
Namun ketika para penjaga berbicara kepadanya demikian, sang pertapa yang kaya tapa itu, wahai raja, tidak mengucapkan sepatah kata pun—tidak membenarkan dan tidak pula mencela; ia tetap berdiam diri.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights self-restraint in speech: the ascetic does not rush to label actions as good or bad. Such silence can reflect inner discipline (tapas) and a refusal to speak without necessity or clarity, aligning with dharmic restraint.
After the guards address or question him, the ascetic—described as tapodhana—responds with complete silence, offering neither praise nor blame. The narrator (Vaiśampāyana) reports this to the king in the frame-story setting.