Shloka 122
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
त॑ पौष्य: प्रत्युवाच न चाहं शक्तः शापं प्रत्यादातुं न हि मे मन्युरद्याप्युपशमं गच्छति कि चैतद् भवता न ज्ञायते यथा--,यह सुनकर पौष्यने उत्तंकसे कहा--“मैं शापको लौटानेमें असमर्थ हूँ, मेरा क्रोध अभीतक शान्त नहीं हो रहा है। क्या आप यह नहीं जानते कि ब्राह्मणका हृदय मक्खनके समान मुलायम और जल्दी पिघलनेवाला होता है? केवल उसकी वाणीमें ही तीखी धारवाले छुरेका-सा प्रभाव होता है। किंतु ये दोनों ही बातें क्षत्रियके लिये विपरीत हैं। उसकी वाणी तो नवनीतके समान कोमल होती है, लेकिन हृदय पैनी धारवाले छुरेके समान तीखा होता है
taṁ pauṣyaḥ pratyuvāca—na cāhaṁ śaktaḥ śāpaṁ pratyādātuṁ; na hi me manyur adyāpy upaśamaṁ gacchati. kiṁ caitad bhavatā na jñāyate yathā—
Pauṣya replied, “I am not able to take back the curse; my anger has not yet subsided. And do you not know how it is?—” (He is about to explain the differing temperaments of social orders: the Brahmin’s heart is soft though his speech can cut, while the Kshatriya’s speech may be gentle though his heart can be hard.)
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
A curse, once uttered in anger, is not easily withdrawn; therefore self-restraint (especially restraint of speech) is ethically crucial. The passage also sets up a reflection on temperament: outward gentleness or harshness may not match inner disposition, so one should judge actions carefully and cultivate inner calm.
Pauṣya responds to a request to retract a curse, saying he cannot do so because his anger has not yet cooled. He then begins an explanatory aside (“Do you not know how it is…”) that leads into a comparison of Brahmin and Kshatriya traits, framing the moral psychology behind speech and anger.