Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कल्कापेतामपरुषामनृशंसामपैशुनाम्‌ । ईदृगल्पं च वक्तव्यमविक्षिप्तेन चेतसा

Transliteration

kalkāpetām aparuṣām anṛśaṃsām apaiśunām | īdṛg-alpaṃ ca vaktavyam avikṣiptena cetasā ||

Translation

Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Dapat magsalita ng mga salitang malinis, hindi marahas, hindi malupit, at hindi nadungisan ng paninirang-puri. Kahit ang gayong pananalita ay dapat bigkasin nang kaunti lamang, at may isip na matatag at hindi naliligalig—lalo na ng taong nakakakita sa kasinupan ng dharma at nagnanais magsabi ng tunay na kapaki-pakinabang.”

Word by Word

• कल्कापेताम्: free from impurity/sin
• कल्कापेताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्क-अपेत
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अपरुषाम्: not harsh
• अपरुषाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-परुष
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अनृशंसाम्: not cruel; compassionate
• अनृशंसाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-नृशंस
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अपैशुनाम्: free from slander/backbiting
• अपैशुनाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-पैशुन
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ईदृक्: such (of this kind)
• ईदृक्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अल्पम्: little; limited
• अल्पम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वक्तव्यम्: should be spoken
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: तव्यत्, Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Obligative (gerundive)

• अविक्षिप्तेन: with undistracted (steady)
• अविक्षिप्तेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-वि-क्षिप्त
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• चेतसा: with mind; with consciousness
• चेतसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Speech should be ethically purified: truthful yet non-harmful, gentle, compassionate, and free from slander; moreover, even good speech should be measured and spoken with a steady, undistracted mind.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and proper conduct; here he gives a rule of disciplined speech as part of ethical living and self-mastery.