युधिष्ठिर उवाच विद्वान् मूर्खप्रगल्भेन मृदुतीक्ष्णेन भारत। आक्रुश्यमानः सदसि कथं कुर्यादरिंदम्॥
Yudhishthira said How, O Bharata, should a learned and modest man behave, O chastiser of foes, when attacked with harsh speeches in the court by an ignorant person puffed up with conceit?
भीष्म उवाच श्रूयतां पृथिवीपाल यथैषोऽर्थोऽनुगीयते। सदा सुचेताः सहते नरस्येहाल्पमेधसः।। :॥
Bhishma said Listen, O king, how this subject has been treated of (in the scriptures), i.e. how a person of good soul should endure in this world the abusive words of foolish persons.
अरुष्यन् क्रुश्यमानस्य सुकृतं नाम विन्दति। दुष्कृतं चात्मनो मर्षी रुष्यत्येवापमाश् िवै॥
If a person, when abused my another, does not become irate, he is then sure to win the merit of all the good deeds that have been done by the abuser. The endurer, in such a case, transfers the demerit of all his own bad deeds to the person who being angry abuses him.
टिट्टिभं तमुपेक्षेत वाशमानमिवातुरम्। लोकविद्वेषमापन्नो निष्फलं प्रतिपद्यते॥ इति संश्लाघते नित्यं तेन पापेन कर्मणा। इदमुक्तो मया कश्चित् सम्मतो जनसंसदि॥
An intelligent man should pay no attention to an utterer of abusive words who resembles, after all, only a Tittibha uttering dissonant notes. One, who is possessed by hate is said to live in vain. A fool is often heard to say,-I addressed such words to such a respectable man amid such an assembly of men!-and to cven boast of that wicked act.
स तत्र वीडितः शुष्को मृतकल्पोऽवतिष्ठते। श्लाघन श्लाघनीयेन कर्मणा निरपत्रपः॥
He would add,-Abused by me, the man stood silent as if dead with shame!-Even thus does a shameless man boast of an act of which he should never boast.
उपेक्षितव्यो यत्नेन तादृशः पुरुषाधमः। यद् यद् ब्रूयादल्पमतिस्तत्तदस्य सहेद्बुधः॥
Such a wretched wight should carefully be disregarded. The wise man should endure every thing that such a foolish person may say.
प्राकृतो हि प्रशंसन् वा निन्दन वा किं करिष्यति। वने काक इवाबुद्धिर्वाशमानो निरर्थकम्॥
What can a vulgar person do by either his praise or blame? He is like a crow that caws uselessly in the forest.
यदि वाग्भिः प्रयोगः स्यात् प्रयोगे पापकर्मणः। वागेवार्थो भवेत् तस्य न ह्येवार्थो जिघांसत्तः॥
If those, who blame others by only their words, could establish those accusations by such means, then, perhaps, their words would have been considered to be of some value. However, their words are as effective as those uttered by fools invoking death upon them with whom they fall out.
निषेकं विपरीतं स आचष्टे वृत्तचेष्टया। मयूर इव कौपीनं नृत्यं संदर्शयन्निव॥
That man simply says that he is a bastard who indulges in such conduct and words. Indeed, he is like a peacock that dances while showing such a part of his body which should never be shown.
यस्यावाच्यं न लोकेऽस्ति नाकार्यं चापि किंचन। वाचं तेन न संदध्याच्छुचिः संश्लिश्कर्मणा॥
A person of pure conduct should never even speak with that sinful person, who does not scruple to utter anything or do anything.
प्रत्यक्षं गुणवादी यः परोक्षे चापि निन्दकः। स मानवः श्ववल्लोके नष्टलोकपरावरः॥
That man, who speaks of one's qualities when the latter marks him and who speaks ill of him when he does not see him, is really like a dog. Such a person does not acquire heaven and the fruits of any knowledge and virtue that he may have.
तादृग्जनशतस्यापि यद्ददाति जुहोति च। परोक्षेणापवादी यस्तं नाशयति तत्क्षणात्॥
The man, who speaks ill of one in his absence, loses the fruits of all his libations on fire and of the gifts he may make to even a hundred persons.
तस्मात् प्राज्ञो नरः सद्यस्तादृशं पापचेतसम्। वर्जयेत् साधुभिर्वयं सारमेयामिषं यथा।॥
A wise man, therefore, should unhesitatingly avoid such a sinful person who should always be shunned by all honest men, as he would avoid the flesh of the dog.
परिवादं ब्रुवाणो हि दुरात्मा वै महाजने। प्रकाशयति दोषांस्तु सर्पः फणमिवोच्छ्रितम्॥
That wicked wretch, who mentions the faults of a high-souled person, really displays his own evil nature even as a snake shows his hood.
तं स्वकर्माणि कुर्वाणं प्रतिकर्तुं य इच्छति। भस्मकूट इवाबुद्धिः खरो रजसि सज्जति॥
The sensible man, who tries to oppose such a back-biter always engaged in doing a work congenial to himself, finds himself in the painful situation of a stupid ass sunk in a heap of ashes.
मनुष्यशालावृकमप्रशान्तं जनापवादे सततं निविष्टम्। मातङ्गमुन्मत्तमिवोन्नदन्तं त्यजेत तं श्वानमिवातिरौद्रम्॥
A man who always speaks ill of others, should be shunned like a furious wolf, or an infuriate elephant roaring madly, or a fierce dog.
अधीरजुष्टे पथि वर्तमान दमादपेतं विनयाच्च पापम्। अरिव्रतं नित्यमभूतिकामं धिगस्तु तं पापमति मनुष्यम्॥
Fie on that sinful wretch, who has followed the footsteps of the foolish who has transgressed all healthy restraints and modesty, who always injures others, and who does not care for his own prosperity.
प्रत्युच्यमानस्त्वभिभूय एर्भि र्निशाम्य मा भूस्त्वमथार्तरूपः। उच्चस्य नीचेन हि सम्प्रयोगं विगर्हयन्ति स्थिरबुद्धयो ये॥
If an honest man wishes to speak to such wretches when they try to humiliate him, he should thus be advised,-Do not allow yourself to be afflicted. A wordy torrents between a high and a low person is always disapproved by persons of sober intelligence.
क्रुद्धो दशार्धेन हि ताडयेद् वा स पांसुभिर्वा विकिरेत् तुषैर्वा। विवृत्य दन्तांश्च विभीषयेद् वा सद्ध हि मूढे कुपिते नृशंसे॥
A slanderous wretch, when influenced by an anger, may strike another with his palms, or throw dust or chaff at another, or frighten another by showing or grinding his teeth. But all this is well-known.
विगर्हणां परमदुरात्मना कृतां सहेत यः संसदि दुर्जनान्नरः। पठेदिदं चापि निदर्शनं सदा न वाड्मयं स लभति किंचिदप्रियम्॥
That man, who bears the reproaches and slanders of wicked men uttered in assemblies, or who reads frequently these instructions, never suffers any pain from words.