Shloka 10

Devanagari script

मौने ज्ञानफलावाप्तिदनिन च यशो महत्‌ | वाम्मित्वं सत्यवाक्येन परत्र च महीयते

Transliteration

maune jñānaphalāvāptir dānaṁ ca yaśo mahat | vākmitvaṁ satyavākyena paratra ca mahīyate ||

Translation

മൗനത്തിലൂടെ ജ്ഞാനഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു; ദാനത്തിലൂടെ മഹത്തായ യശസ്സ് ലഭിക്കുന്നു. സത്യവചനത്തിലൂടെ വാഗ്മിത്വം വരുന്നു; പരലോകത്തിലും മനുഷ്യൻ ആദരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

मौनेin silence

ज्ञानफलावाप्तिःattainment of the fruit of knowledge

दानीa giver; one who gives

चand

यशःfame

महत्great

वाक्मित्वम्eloquence

सत्यवाक्येनby truthful speech

परत्रin the other world; hereafter

चand

महीयतेis honored; becomes great

Speaker

नाग उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nāga (speaker)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links specific virtues to their ethical and spiritual results: silence (mauna) ripens into the fruit of knowledge, charity (dāna) yields lasting good fame, and truthful speech (satya-vākya) produces eloquence and honor both in this life and the next.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Nāga speaks in a didactic context within Śānti Parva, offering concise instruction on conduct—highlighting restraint in speech, generosity, and truthfulness as practices that generate merit and elevate one’s standing here and hereafter.