न वैराण्य् अभिजानन्ति गुणान् पश्यन्ति नागुणान् ॥
विरोधं नाधिगच्छन्ति ये त उत्तमपूरुषाः ॥
संवादे परुषाण्य् आहुर् युधिष्ठिर नराधमाः ॥
प्रत्याहुर् मध्यमास् त्व् एतान् उक्ताः परुषम् उत्तरम् ॥
नैवोक्ता नैव चानुक्ता अहिताः परुषा गिरः ॥
प्रतिजल्पन्ति वै धीराः सदा उत्तमपूरुषाः ॥
स्मरन्ति सुकृतान्य् एव न वैराणि कृतान्य् अपि ॥
सन्तः प्रतिविजानन्तो लब्ध्वा प्रत्ययम् आत्मनः ॥
na vairāṇy abhijānanti guṇān paśyanti nāguṇān ||
virodhaṃ nādhigacchanti ye ta uttamapūruṣāḥ ||
saṃvāde paruṣāṇy āhur yudhiṣṭhira narādhamāḥ ||
pratyāhur madhyamās tv etān uktāḥ paruṣam uttaram ||
naivoktā naiva cānuktā ahitāḥ paruṣā giraḥ ||
pratijalpanti vai dhīrāḥ sadā uttamapūruṣāḥ ||
smaranti sukṛtāny eva na vairāṇi kṛtāny api ||
santaḥ prativijānanto labdhvā pratyayam ātmanaḥ ||
[Dhritarashtra:] 'They do not remember enmity, they see virtues and not faults, they do not enter into conflict -- such are the highest of men. In dispute, harsh words are spoken by the lowest of men, O Yudhishthira; the middling reply only to those who have spoken harshly to them -- word for word; but to unkind, harsh speech, whether spoken or unspoken, the steadfast do not answer with abuse at all -- ever the highest of men. They remember only good deeds, not the enmities done against them -- the virtuous, who acknowledge goodness, having found assurance in themselves.'
6e5bf71050fd · publicado 16 jul 2026, 16:12:36 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
A three-tiered measure lays bare a man's worth by his speech in a quarrel: the lowest is the first to curse, the middling answers cursing, the highest does not answer at all. This is not indifference but freedom: one who has found his footing in himself cannot be wounded by slander, for his self-worth does not depend on other men's tongues. Dhritarashtra holds up the highest tier as an example to Yudhishthira -- who has already shown it, by remaining silent under disgrace. It is notable that the counsel of good memory is repeated: freedom from resentment is not forgetfulness but a choice -- deliberately to keep the good and let go of the grievance. The verse teaches that silence before an insult can be higher than a retort; that greatness is known by what a man does not do; and that only one who has found his footing in himself is free of grievances.