Shloka 50

Śānti-parva 168: Śoka-nivṛtti-buddhi (The Cognition that Reduces Grief) and Piṅgalā’s Nairāśya

Devanagari script

सुचारुवर्णाक्षरचारु भूषितां मनोनुगां निर्धुतवाक्यकण्टकाम्‌ । निशम्य तां पार्थिव पार्थभाषितां गिरं नरेन्द्रा: प्रशशंसुरेव ते

Transliteration

Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca: sucāruvarṇākṣaracāru-bhūṣitāṃ manonugāṃ nirdhuta-vākyakaṇṭakām | niśamya tāṃ pārthiva pārtha-bhāṣitāṃ giraṃ narendrāḥ praśaśaṃsur eva te, Janamejaya ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Ôi Janamejaya, khi các vua nghe lời Yudhiṣṭhira—được điểm trang bằng sự sắp đặt tuyệt đẹp của âm tiết và chữ, trôi chảy hợp lòng, và đã gột sạch mọi gai góc thô bạo hay lỗi lầm trong lời nói—họ đều hết lời tán dương ngài.

Word by Word

• सुचारु-वर्ण-अक्षर-चारु-भूषिताम्: adorned with beautiful sounds and letters
• सुचारु-वर्ण-अक्षर-चारु-भूषिताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूषित (भूष् धातु, क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• मनः-अनुगाम्: agreeable to the mind; following the mind
• मनः-अनुगाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुग (अनु + गम् धातु, घञ्/कृदन्त-आधारित विशेषण)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• निर्धुत-वाक्य-कण्टकाम्: having shaken off the thorns (faults) of speech
• निर्धुत-वाक्य-कण्टकाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्धुत (धू धातु, क्त; नि + धू)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निशम् (नि + शम्/शम् = to hear/attend; here: नि + शम्/शृ)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• पार्थिव: O king
• Type: Noun (Vocative address)
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पार्थ-भाषिताम्: spoken by the son of Pṛthā (Pārtha)
• पार्थ-भाषिताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाषित (भाष् धातु, क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गिरम्: speech; utterance
• गिरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• नर-इन्द्राः: kings; lords of men
• नर-इन्द्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रशशंसुः: praised
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जनमेजय: O Janamejaya
• Type: Noun (Proper name, Vocative)
• Root: जनमेजय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Janamejaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Pārtha)
• narendrāḥ (kings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharmic speech is marked by clarity, beauty of expression, alignment with sincere intention, and the absence of verbal ‘thorns’—harshness, fault-finding, or injurious phrasing. Such disciplined speech naturally earns respect and acceptance among wise listeners.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that after Yudhiṣṭhira spoke, the assembled rulers listened and, recognizing the faultless and gentle excellence of his words, praised him profusely.