Shloka 19
Adhyāya 115: On Restraint Under Verbal Provocation in the Assembly (सभायां आक्रोश-सहिष्णुता)
प्रत्युच्यमानस्त्वभि भूय एभि- निशाम्य मा भूस्त्वमथार्तरूप: । उच्चस्य नीचेन हि सम्प्रयोगं विगर्हयन्ति स्थिरबुद्धयों ये
pratyucyamānas tv abhi bhūya ebhir niśāmya mā bhūs tvam athārtarūpaḥ | uccasya nīcena hi samprayogaṁ vigarhayanti sthirabuddhayo ye ||
भीष्म उवाच—यदा एते दुष्टाः पुनः पुनरभ्युत्थाय निन्दन्ति, तदा तेषां वचनं श्रुत्वा सत्पुरुषः प्रत्युत्तरं दातुमुद्यतः स्यात्; तं निवार्य ब्रूयात्—“मा भूस्त्वमार्तरूपः।” उच्चस्य नीचेन हि सम्प्रयोगं, समत्वमिव, विगर्हयन्ति स्थिरबुद्धयः।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not let a virtuous person be drawn into distressing exchanges with base people; the wise regard such engagement as a degrading association, so restraint and dignity are preferable to retaliatory speech.
In Bhishma’s instruction on righteous conduct, he advises that when wicked people attack and slander, a well-disposed person may feel compelled to reply; one should instead restrain him and remind him not to grieve, because the steadfast condemn a noble person’s entanglement with the ignoble.