Shloka 37

Devanagari script

वैशग्पायन उवाच ततस्तामशिवां श्र॒ुत्वा वाचं स परुषाक्षराम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | tatastām aśivāṃ śrutvā vācaṃ sa paruṣākṣarām |

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。すると彼は、不吉なその言葉――一つ一つの音節にまで荒々しさを帯びた言葉――を聞き、あの凶兆めいた宣言ののちに応じたのである。この箇所は、言葉が残酷で不吉であるとき、それ自体が道義と物語の転機となり、恐れや怒り、あるいは決定的な進路の変更を引き起こしうることを示している。

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then; thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अशिवाम्: inauspicious; evil
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशिव
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Active

• वाचम्: speech; words
• वाचम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परुषाक्षराम्: harsh-lettered; consisting of harsh syllables
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परुष-अक्षर
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of speech: words that are harsh and inauspicious are not morally neutral—they can wound, inflame conflict, and set harmful consequences in motion. It implicitly commends restraint and auspicious, truthful, measured speech as aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a turning point: someone (referred to as 'he') hears an ominous, harshly worded utterance. The line prepares the listener for the reaction and the ensuing development triggered by that speech.