Shloka 122
त॑ पौष्य: प्रत्युवाच न चाहं शक्तः शापं प्रत्यादातुं न हि मे मन्युरद्याप्युपशमं गच्छति कि चैतद् भवता न ज्ञायते यथा--,यह सुनकर पौष्यने उत्तंकसे कहा--“मैं शापको लौटानेमें असमर्थ हूँ, मेरा क्रोध अभीतक शान्त नहीं हो रहा है। क्या आप यह नहीं जानते कि ब्राह्मणका हृदय मक्खनके समान मुलायम और जल्दी पिघलनेवाला होता है? केवल उसकी वाणीमें ही तीखी धारवाले छुरेका-सा प्रभाव होता है। किंतु ये दोनों ही बातें क्षत्रियके लिये विपरीत हैं। उसकी वाणी तो नवनीतके समान कोमल होती है, लेकिन हृदय पैनी धारवाले छुरेके समान तीखा होता है
taṁ pauṣyaḥ pratyuvāca—na cāhaṁ śaktaḥ śāpaṁ pratyādātuṁ; na hi me manyur adyāpy upaśamaṁ gacchati. kiṁ caitad bhavatā na jñāyate yathā—
Sumagot si Pauṣya, “Hindi ko kayang bawiin ang sumpa; hindi pa humuhupa ang aking galit. At hindi mo ba nalalaman kung paano ito—” (At ipaliliwanag niya ang pagkakaiba ng likas na ugali ng mga uri: ang puso ng Brahmin ay malambot bagaman ang salita’y makaputol, samantalang ang salita ng Kshatriya ay maaaring banayad ngunit ang puso’y maaaring matigas).
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
A curse, once uttered in anger, is not easily withdrawn; therefore self-restraint (especially restraint of speech) is ethically crucial. The passage also sets up a reflection on temperament: outward gentleness or harshness may not match inner disposition, so one should judge actions carefully and cultivate inner calm.
Pauṣya responds to a request to retract a curse, saying he cannot do so because his anger has not yet cooled. He then begins an explanatory aside (“Do you not know how it is…”) that leads into a comparison of Brahmin and Kshatriya traits, framing the moral psychology behind speech and anger.