Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

क्रुद्धों दशार्धेन हि ताडयेद्‌ वा स पांसुभिर्वा विकिरेत्‌ तुषैर्वा । विवृत्य दन्तांश्व विभीषयेद्‌ वा सिद्ध हि मूढे कुपिते नृशंसे

Transliteration

kruddho daśārdhena hi tāḍayed vā sa pāṃsubhir vā vikiret tuṣair vā | vivṛtya dantāṃś ca vibhīṣayed vā siddhaṃ hi mūḍhe kupite nṛśaṃse ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：愚昧而性情残暴之人一旦发怒，或以掌击人，或扬尘抛土，或掷糠撒秕；甚至龇牙咧嘴以恐吓。因为在迷狂、暴怒而无慈悯的人身上，种种卑劣行径皆有可能发生。

Word by Word

• {'kruddhaḥ': 'angry, enraged', 'daśārdhena': 'with the half of the hand

• with the palm (i.e., a slap)', 'tāḍayet': 'may strike, may beat', 'pāṃsubhiḥ': 'with dust', 'vikiret': 'may scatter, may throw about', 'tuṣaiḥ': 'with chaff/husks', 'vivṛtya': 'having bared, having opened wide', 'dantān': 'teeth', 'vibhīṣayet': 'may frighten, may intimidate', 'siddham': 'established, certain, to be expected', 'mūḍhe': 'in/for a deluded fool', 'kupite': 'when enraged

• in one who is angry', 'nṛśaṃse': 'cruel, ruthless, malicious person'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that uncontrolled anger in a foolish and cruel-minded person makes any degrading or harmful act likely; therefore, one should cultivate restraint and avoid provoking or trusting the judgment of such a person in rage.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhīṣma describes the kinds of petty yet dangerous aggressions an enraged, ruthless fool may display—slapping, throwing dust or chaff, and baring teeth to intimidate—illustrating how anger collapses ethical behavior.