Shloka 33
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
रोहते सायकैरिंद्ध वनं परशुना हतम् । वाचा दुरुक्तं बीभत्सं न संरोहति वाक्क्षतम्
rohate sāyakair iddhaṁ vanaṁ paraśunā hatam | vācā duruktaṁ bībhatsaṁ na saṁrohati vākkṣatam ||
بھیشم نے کہا— تیروں سے چھلنی اور کلہاڑی سے کٹا ہوا جنگل بھی پھر اگ آتا ہے؛ مگر بدزبان اور سخت گفتاری کے ہتھیار سے لگنے والا ہولناک زخمِ گفتار کبھی نہیں بھرتا۔
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Physical damage can recover, but cruelty in speech creates deep, lasting injury; therefore one should practice restraint, truthfulness, and gentleness in words as part of dharma.
In Bhishma’s instruction on righteous conduct, he uses a vivid comparison—forests regrow after weapons, but a ‘speech-wound’ does not—to warn against abusive or harsh language.