Shloka 12
कृपवाक्यं तथा नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel and a Discourse on Statecraft
वृद्धानुशासने तात तिष्ठता सत्यशीलिना । अवश्यं त्विह धीरेण सतां मध्ये विवक्षता
vṛddhānuśāsane tāta tiṣṭhatā satyaśīlinā | avaśyaṃ tv iha dhīreṇa satāṃ madhye vivakṣatā ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai anakku, apabila engkau berdiri di bawah bimbingan dan disiplin para tua-tua, dan apabila tingkah lakumu berakar pada kebenaran, maka di sini—di tengah perhimpunan orang-orang berbudi—engkau wajib berkata-kata dengan keteguhan dan penguasaan diri.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should accept the discipline of elders, remain truthful in character, and speak only with calm steadiness—especially when addressing or speaking among the virtuous.
Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, frames a moment of counsel about proper conduct: in a setting where respected elders and good people are present, the speaker is urged to abide by guidance and to speak with composed truthfulness.