Shloka 32

आचारप्रशंसा

Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity

Devanagari script

वाक्सायका वदनान्निष्पतन्ति यैराहत: शोचति रात्र्यहानि । परस्य वा मर्मसु ये पतन्ति तान्‌ पण्डितो नावसूजेत्‌ परेषु

Transliteration

vāksāyakā vadanān niṣpatanti yair āhataḥ śocati rātryahāni | parasya vā marmasu ye patanti tān paṇḍito nāvasūjet pareṣu ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“言语如箭，自口而出；人若被其所伤，便昼夜忧悲。故智者切莫向他人掷出此等言辞——那种射中他人要害与敏感之处的话。”

Word by Word

• वाक्: speech, word
• वाक्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सायका: arrows
• सायका: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायका
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वदनात्: from the mouth
• वदनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• निष्पतन्ति: fly out, shoot forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: निष्+पत्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• यैः: by which
• यैः: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• आहतः: struck, wounded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ+हन् (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शोचति: grieves
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुच्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रात्रि-अहानि: nights and days
• रात्रि-अहानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि + अहन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• परस्य: of another
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• मर्मसु: in the vital spots, sensitive points
• मर्मसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• ये: who, which
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पतन्ति: fall, strike, land
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तान्: those (words)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पण्डितः: a wise man
• पण्डितः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्डित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अवसूजेत्: should not utter/let loose
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव+सृज्
• Form: Aorist (injunctive/precative usage), Optative (vidhi/niyama sense), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परेषु: towards others, among others
• परेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• vāk (speech/words)
• sāyaka (arrow)
• marman (vital/sensitive points)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Speech can wound as deeply as weapons; therefore one should restrain oneself from uttering words that strike another’s vulnerable points and cause lasting sorrow.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and proper conduct; here he warns that verbal cruelty inflicts enduring pain, so the wise avoid such speech toward others.