Shloka 33

आचारप्रशंसा

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

Devanagari script

रोहते सायकैरिंद्ध वनं परशुना हतम्‌ । वाचा दुरुक्तं बीभत्सं न संरोहति वाक्क्षतम्‌

Transliteration

rohate sāyakair iddhaṁ vanaṁ paraśunā hatam | vācā duruktaṁ bībhatsaṁ na saṁrohati vākkṣatam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：森林纵被箭矢穿刺、斧刃砍伐，尚能再度生长；而由恶言粗语所造成的可怖创伤，却不再愈合。

Word by Word

• रोहते: grow up / sprout again (they two)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुह्
• Form: Lat, Atmanepada, 3, Dual

• सायकैः: by arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• इद्धम्: kindled / blazing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इद्ध
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परशुना: by an axe
• परशुना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परशु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• हतम्: cut down / struck
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन्
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• दुरुक्तम्: harsh/ill-spoken word
• दुरुक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरुक्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बीभत्सम्: horrible / disgusting
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बीभत्स
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• संरोहति: grows back / heals over
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + रुह्
• Form: Lat, Parasmaipada, 3, Singular

• वाक्-क्षतम्: wound caused by speech
• वाक्-क्षतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् + क्षत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• arrows (sāyaka)
• axe (paraśu)
• forest (vana)
• speech/words (vāc)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Physical damage can recover, but cruelty in speech creates deep, lasting injury; therefore one should practice restraint, truthfulness, and gentleness in words as part of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on righteous conduct, he uses a vivid comparison—forests regrow after weapons, but a ‘speech-wound’ does not—to warn against abusive or harsh language.