Shloka 10

Adhyāya 115: On Restraint Under Verbal Provocation in the Assembly (सभायां आक्रोश-सहिष्णुता)

Devanagari script

निषेकं विपरीतं स आचडटष्टे वृत्तचेष्टया । मयूर इव कौपीन नृत्यं संदर्शयन्निव

Transliteration

niṣekaṁ viparītaṁ sa ācaṣṭe vṛttaceṣṭayā | mayūra iva kaupīnaṁ nṛtyaṁ saṁdarśayann iva ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“他以自身乖谬的行径，使耻辱昭然。正如孔雀展示舞姿之时，连本应遮蔽之处也一并暴露；愚人亦然——以不当之举，显露出内里潜藏的过失。”

Word by Word

• निषेकम्: exposure; uncovering (lit. pouring out)
• निषेकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषेक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विपरीतम्: improper; contrary
• विपरीतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपरीत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आचष्टे: shows; makes manifest
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• वृत्तचेष्टया: by (his) conduct/behavioral activity
• वृत्तचेष्टया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तचेष्टा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• मयूरः: a peacock
• मयूरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मयूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like; as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• कौपीनम्: loincloth
• कौपीनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौपीन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नृत्यम्: dance
• नृत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• संदर्शयन्: showing; displaying
• संदर्शयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + दृश्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• peacock (mayūra)
• loincloth (kaupīna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Improper, perverse behavior does not remain hidden; it becomes the very means by which a person’s concealed defects are exposed to others.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, he uses a vivid simile: as a peacock’s showy dance can inadvertently expose what should be covered, so a foolish person’s misguided actions publicly reveal his inner flaws.