Shloka 6

मोक्षधर्मः — स्नेहपाशच्छेदः

Mokṣa-dharma: Cutting the Bonds of Attachment

Devanagari script

अतिवादांस्तितिक्षेत नाभिमन्येत कंचन । क्रोध्यमान: प्रियं ब्रूयादाक्रुष्ट: कुशलं वदेत्‌

Transliteration

ativādāṁs titikṣeta nābhimanyeta kaṁcana | krodhyamānaḥ priyaṁ brūyād ākruṣṭaḥ kuśalaṁ vadet ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Hãy nhẫn chịu những lời quá đáng và cay nghiệt, và đừng chấp ai. Dẫu cơn giận dâng lên, hãy nói lời êm dịu; dẫu bị mắng nhiếc, hãy đáp lại bằng lời cầu an và thiện chí.”

Word by Word

• अतिवादान्: excessive/harsh words, taunts
• अतिवादान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिवाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तितिक्षेत: should endure/forbear
• तितिक्षेत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: तिज् (तितिक्ष्)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अभिमन्येत: should think ill of / take to heart / resent
• अभिमन्येत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + मन्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular

• कंचन: anyone (at all)
• कंचन: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्रोध्यमानः: being angered / when angry
• क्रोध्यमानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रुध्
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle; आत्मनेपदी usage), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रियम्: pleasant (words)
• प्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रूयात्: should speak/say
• ब्रूयात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular

• आक्रुष्टः: having been abused/insulted; when reviled
• आक्रुष्टः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + क्रुश्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुशलम्: good, auspicious (words); well-being
• कुशलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वदेत्: should speak/say
• वदेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches disciplined speech and emotional restraint: tolerate harsh words without taking personal offense, and respond to anger or insult with pleasant, beneficial speech rather than retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhīṣma gives Yudhiṣṭhira practical ethical guidance—how a virtuous person (and especially a ruler) should handle provocation: by forbearance, non-reactivity, and welfare-oriented speech.