Shloka 52
न जातु त्वमिति ब्रूयादापन्नो5पि महत्तरम् | त्वंकारो वा वधो वेति विद्वत्सु न विशिष्यते
na jātu tvam iti brūyād āpanno 'pi mahattaram | tvaṃkāro vā vadho veti vidvatsu na viśiṣyate, yudhiṣṭhira |
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Yudhiṣṭhira, sekalipun engkau terhimpit oleh bencana terbesar, jangan sekali-kali menyapa orang yang lebih mulia dengan sapaan akrab ‘engkau’ (tvam). Di mata para bijak, penghinaan lewat sapaan ‘tvam’ itu tak jauh bedanya dengan melukai—demikian beratnya dosa merendahkan orang yang patut dihormati.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One must maintain respectful forms of address toward elders and superiors; insulting speech—especially the undue familiar ‘tvam’—is treated by the wise as a grave offense, comparable in moral weight to physical harm.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising King Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and proper conduct, here emphasizing verbal discipline and the ethical seriousness of disrespectful address toward the worthy.