Shloka 21
अविलम्बमनायस्तमद्रुतं धीरमूर्जितम् । असंसक्ताक्षरपदं स्वरभावसमन्वितम्,कथावाचकको न तो बहुत रुक-रुककर कथा बाँचनी चाहिये और न बहुत जल्दी ही। आरामके साथ धीरगतिसे अक्षरों और पदोंका स्पष्ट उच्चारण करते हुए उच्चस्वरसे कथा बाँचनी चाहिये। मीठे स्वरसे भावार्थ समझाकर कथा कहनी चाहिये
avilambam anāyastam adrutaṃ dhīram ūrjitam | asaṃsaktākṣarapadaṃ svarabhāvasamanvitam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “The recitation should be neither delayed nor strained, and it should not be rushed. It should proceed with steady composure and vigour, with syllables and words clearly articulated and not run together, and with voice and feeling properly aligned. In this way the storyteller conveys the meaning sweetly and makes the narrative intelligible and effective.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches disciplined, ethical speech in sacred narration: avoid dragging or rushing, speak without strain, articulate syllables and words distinctly, and align tone with intended emotion so the listener understands the meaning clearly.
Vaiśampāyana gives a normative instruction about how a kathā-vācaka (narrator/reciter) should deliver the Mahābhārata—setting standards for pace, clarity of pronunciation, and expressive tone as part of proper transmission of the tradition.