Shloka 33
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
रोहते सायकैरिंद्ध वनं परशुना हतम् । वाचा दुरुक्तं बीभत्सं न संरोहति वाक्क्षतम्
rohate sāyakair iddhaṁ vanaṁ paraśunā hatam | vācā duruktaṁ bībhatsaṁ na saṁrohati vākkṣatam ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಬಾಣಗಳಿಂದ ಚುಚ್ಚಲ್ಪಟ್ಟೂ, ಪರಶುವಿನಿಂದ ಕಡಿದುಹಾಕಲ್ಪಟ್ಟೂ ಇರುವ ಅರಣ್ಯ ಮತ್ತೆ ಬೆಳೆದುಬರುತ್ತದೆ; ಆದರೆ ದುರ್ವಚನವೆಂಬ ಶಸ್ತ್ರದಿಂದ ಉಂಟಾದ ಭೀಕರ ವಾಕ್-ಗಾಯ ಎಂದಿಗೂ ಗುಣವಾಗದು.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Physical damage can recover, but cruelty in speech creates deep, lasting injury; therefore one should practice restraint, truthfulness, and gentleness in words as part of dharma.
In Bhishma’s instruction on righteous conduct, he uses a vivid comparison—forests regrow after weapons, but a ‘speech-wound’ does not—to warn against abusive or harsh language.