Shloka 18

कपिल–स्यूमरश्मि संवादः

Kapila and Syūmaraśmi on Renunciation, Householder Support, and Epistemic Authority

Devanagari script

यस्मादुद्विजते लोक: सर्वो मृत्युमुखादिव । वाक्‌ क्रूराद्‌ दण्डपरुषात्‌ स प्राप्रोति महद्‌ भयम्‌

Transliteration

yasmād udvijate lokaḥ sarvo mṛtyumukhād iva | vāk krūrād daṇḍaparuṣāt sa prāpnoti mahad bhayam ||

Translation

สิ่งที่ทำให้โลกทั้งปวงสะท้านราวกับเผชิญปากแห่งมัจจุราช—คือวาจาอันโหดร้าย หยาบกร้านดุจคทาแห่งทัณฑ์—ย่อมนำความหวาดกลัวใหญ่หลวงมาสู่ผู้ใช้วาจานั้น

Word by Word

यस्मात्from whom/which

उद्विजतेis frightened/shudders

लोकःthe world/people

सर्वःentire/all

मृत्युमुखात्from the mouth of death (i.e., from death’s jaws)

इवas if/like

वाक्speech/words

क्रूरात्from the cruel (one/thing)

दण्डपरुषात्from harsh (speech) like a rod; very severe

सःhe/that person

प्राप्नोतिattains/incurs

महत्great

भयम्fear

Speaker

तुलाधार उवाच

Characters & Entities

loka (people/the world)

mṛtyu (Death, personified)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Cruel, punitive speech is itself a form of harm: since everyone fears it like death, the one who uses such words invites great fear and danger upon himself; dharma requires restraint and gentleness in speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Tulādhāra continues his ethical instruction, warning that harsh, punishing words terrify society and rebound upon the speaker as serious peril.