Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अतिवादांस्तितिक्षेत नाभिमन्येत कंचन । क्रोध्यमान: प्रियं ब्रूयादाक्रुष्ट: कुशलं वदेत्‌

Transliteration

ativādāṁs titikṣeta nābhimanyeta kaṁcana | krodhyamānaḥ priyaṁ brūyād ākruṣṭaḥ kuśalaṁ vadet ||

Translation

Bhīṣma disse: “Deve-se suportar com paciência as palavras excessivas e ásperas, e não se ofender com ninguém. Mesmo quando a ira se ergue, deve-se falar o que é agradável; mesmo quando insultado, deve-se responder com palavras de bem-estar e boa vontade.”

Word by Word

अतिवादान्excessive/harsh words, taunts

तितिक्षेतshould endure/forbear

नnot

अभिमन्येतshould think ill of / take to heart / resent

कंचनanyone (at all)

क्रोध्यमानःbeing angered / when angry

प्रियम्pleasant (words)

ब्रूयात्should speak/say

आक्रुष्टःhaving been abused/insulted; when reviled

कुशलम्good, auspicious (words); well-being

वदेत्should speak/say

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches disciplined speech and emotional restraint: tolerate harsh words without taking personal offense, and respond to anger or insult with pleasant, beneficial speech rather than retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhīṣma gives Yudhiṣṭhira practical ethical guidance—how a virtuous person (and especially a ruler) should handle provocation: by forbearance, non-reactivity, and welfare-oriented speech.