Shloka 20

Adhyāya 115: On Restraint Under Verbal Provocation in the Assembly (सभायां आक्रोश-सहिष्णुता)

Devanagari script

क्रुद्धों दशार्धेन हि ताडयेद्‌ वा स पांसुभिर्वा विकिरेत्‌ तुषैर्वा । विवृत्य दन्तांश्व विभीषयेद्‌ वा सिद्ध हि मूढे कुपिते नृशंसे

Transliteration

kruddho daśārdhena hi tāḍayed vā sa pāṃsubhir vā vikiret tuṣair vā | vivṛtya dantāṃś ca vibhīṣayed vā siddhaṃ hi mūḍhe kupite nṛśaṃse ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Khi kẻ ngu có bản tính hung bạo nổi giận, hắn có thể tát bằng lòng bàn tay, hoặc hất bụi, hoặc ném rơm trấu; thậm chí còn nhe răng để hăm dọa. Bởi nơi kẻ mê muội, giận dữ và tàn nhẫn, mọi thứ hành vi đê tiện đều có thể xảy ra.

Word by Word

• {'kruddhaḥ': 'angry, enraged', 'daśārdhena': 'with the half of the hand

• with the palm (i.e., a slap)', 'tāḍayet': 'may strike, may beat', 'pāṃsubhiḥ': 'with dust', 'vikiret': 'may scatter, may throw about', 'tuṣaiḥ': 'with chaff/husks', 'vivṛtya': 'having bared, having opened wide', 'dantān': 'teeth', 'vibhīṣayet': 'may frighten, may intimidate', 'siddham': 'established, certain, to be expected', 'mūḍhe': 'in/for a deluded fool', 'kupite': 'when enraged

• in one who is angry', 'nṛśaṃse': 'cruel, ruthless, malicious person'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that uncontrolled anger in a foolish and cruel-minded person makes any degrading or harmful act likely; therefore, one should cultivate restraint and avoid provoking or trusting the judgment of such a person in rage.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhīṣma describes the kinds of petty yet dangerous aggressions an enraged, ruthless fool may display—slapping, throwing dust or chaff, and baring teeth to intimidate—illustrating how anger collapses ethical behavior.