Shloka 13

Śaraṇāgatapālana—Prastāvanā

Protection of the Refuge-Seeker: Opening of the Kapota Narrative

Devanagari script

वाड्मात्रेण विनीतः स्याद्‌ हृदयेन यथा क्षुर: । श्लक्ष्णपूर्वाभिभाषी च कामक्रोधौ विवर्जयेत्‌

Transliteration

vāg-mātreṇa vinītaḥ syād hṛdayena yathā kṣuraḥ | ślakṣṇa-pūrvābhibhāṣī ca kāma-krodhau vivarjayet ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Bậc quân vương hãy chỉ khiêm nhường ở lời nói bên ngoài, nhưng trong lòng phải sắc bén như dao cạo. Hãy mở lời trước bằng những câu êm dịu, đẹp lòng, và hãy dứt bỏ dục vọng cùng sân hận.”

Word by Word

• वाक्: by speech/words
• वाक्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• मात्रेण: only/merely (as a measure)
• मात्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विनीतः: humble, well-disciplined
• विनीतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नी (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हृदयेन: with (his) heart/mind
• हृदयेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• यथा: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• क्षुरः: a razor
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्लक्ष्ण: smooth, gentle
• श्लक्ष्ण: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्लक्ष्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पूर्व: first/previously
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व

• अभिभाषी: one who speaks/addressing (others)
• अभिभाषी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-भाष् (णिनि)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• काम: desire/lust
• काम: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• क्रोधौ: anger
• क्रोधौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• विवर्जयेत्: should avoid/abandon
• विवर्जयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-वृज्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājā (the king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should practice strategic gentleness in speech while maintaining inner sharpness and vigilance, and must renounce the destabilizing impulses of lust (kāma) and anger (krodha).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising the king on effective and ethical statecraft—how to speak, how to guard one’s inner resolve, and which passions to restrain.