Shloka 9
Śiśupāla-vadha in the Rājasūya-sabhā (शिशुपालवधः — राजसूयसभायाम्)
वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्य तद् वचन श्रुत्वा रूक्ष॑ रूक्षाक्षरं बहु | चुकोप बलिनां श्रेष्ठो भीमसेन: प्रतापवान्
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā rūkṣaṃ rūkṣākṣaraṃ bahu | cukopa balināṃ śreṣṭho Bhīmasenaḥ pratāpavān ||
毗湿摩耶那说道：听到他那番话——粗厉无比，字字皆带刺、句句皆含毒——毗摩仙那，这位强者之冠、威勇绝伦的英雄，顿时怒火腾起。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of speech: harsh, cutting words (rūkṣa, rūkṣākṣara) can inflame anger and destabilize social order, even among the great. It implicitly commends restraint in speech as part of dharma and warns that verbal cruelty can become a seed of larger violence.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that upon hearing a person’s extremely harsh and bitter speech, Bhīmasena—renowned for strength and valor—becomes intensely angry. The scene marks a turning point where insulting language provokes a powerful reaction in the assembly context.