Mahabharata — Volume VII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 84
MBh 7 84.1
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। बृहस्पतेश्च संवादं शक्रस्य च युधिष्ठिर॥
bhīṣma uvāca atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam| bṛhaspateśca saṃvādaṃ śakrasya ca yudhiṣṭhira||
Bhishma said 'Regarding it, O Yudhishthira, the old account of a conversation between Brihaspati and Shakra is cited.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 84.2
शक्र उवाच किं स्विदेकपदं ब्रह्मन् पुरुषः सम्यगाचरन्। प्रमाणं सर्वभूतानां यशश्चैवाप्नुयान्महत्॥
śakra uvāca kiṃ svidekapadaṃ brahman puruṣaḥ samyagācaran| pramāṇaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ yaśaścaivāpnuyānmahat||
What is that one act, O twice-born one, by finishing which with care, a person may be respected by all creatures and become famous.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 84.3
बृहस्पतिरुवाच । सान्त्वमेकपदं शक्र पुरुषः सम्यगाचरन्। प्रमाणं सर्वभूतानां यशश्चैवाप्नुयान्महत्॥
bṛhaspatiruvāca | sāntvamekapadaṃ śakra puruṣaḥ samyagācaran| pramāṇaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ yaśaścaivāpnuyānmahat||
Brihaspati said Sweetness of speech. O Shakra, is the one thing by practising which a person is esteemed by all and becomes famous.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 84.4
एतदेकपदं शक्र सर्वलोकसुखावहम्। आचरन् सर्वभूतेषु प्रियो भवति सर्वदा॥
etadekapadaṃ śakra sarvalokasukhāvaham| ācaran sarvabhūteṣu priyo bhavati sarvadā||
This is the one thing, O Shakra, which yields happiness to all. By practising it, one may always secure the love of all creatures.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 84.5
यो हि नाभाषते किंचित् सर्वदा भृकुटीमुखः। द्वेष्यो भवति भूतानां स सान्त्वमिह नाचरन्॥
yo hi nābhāṣate kiṃcit sarvadā bhṛkuṭīmukhaḥ| dveṣyo bhavati bhūtānāṃ sa sāntvamiha nācaran||
The person who does not speak a word and whose face is always marked with frowns is hated of all. Want of sweet speeches makes him so.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 84.6
यस्तु सर्वमभिप्रेक्ष्य पूर्वमेवाभिभाषते। स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषी च तस्य लोकः प्रसीदति॥
yastu sarvamabhiprekṣya pūrvamevābhibhāṣate| smitapūrvābhibhāṣī ca tasya lokaḥ prasīdati||
That person who, on seeing others, speaks to them first with smiles, succeeds in winning over every one.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 84.7
दानमेव हि सर्वत्र सान्त्वेनानभिजल्पितम्। न प्रीणयति भूतानि निर्व्यञ्जनमिवाशनम्॥
dānameva hi sarvatra sāntvenānabhijalpitam| na prīṇayati bhūtāni nirvyañjanamivāśanam||
Even gifts, if not made with sweet speeches, do not please the recipients, like rice without curry.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 84.8
आदानादपि भूतानां मधुरामीरयन् गिरम्। सर्वलोकमिमं शक्र सान्त्वेन कुरुते वशे॥
ādānādapi bhūtānāṃ madhurāmīrayan giram| sarvalokamimaṃ śakra sāntvena kurute vaśe||
If even the wealth of men, O Shakra, be snatched away with sweet speeches, such sweetness of conduct can even propitiate the robbed.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 84.9
तस्मात् सान्त्वं प्रयोक्तव्यं दण्डमाधिसतोऽपि हि। फलं च जनयत्येवं न चास्योद्विजते जनः॥
tasmāt sāntvaṃ prayoktavyaṃ daṇḍamādhisato'pi hi| phalaṃ ca janayatyevaṃ na cāsyodvijate janaḥ||
A king, therefore, who is desirous of even inflicting punishment, should use sweet words. Sweetness of speech never fails, while at the same time it never pains any heart.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 84.10
सुकृतस्य हि सान्त्वस्य श्लक्ष्णस्य मधुरस्य च। सम्यगासेव्यमानस्य तुल्यं जातु न विद्यते॥
sukṛtasya hi sāntvasya ślakṣṇasya madhurasya ca| samyagāsevyamānasya tulyaṃ jātu na vidyate||
A person of good deeds and good, pleasant and sweet speeches, has no peer.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 84.11
भीष्म उवाच इत्युक्तः कृतवान् सर्व यथा शक्रः पुरोधसा। तथा त्वमपि कौन्तेय सम्यगेतत् समाचर॥
bhīṣma uvāca ityuktaḥ kṛtavān sarva yathā śakraḥ purodhasā| tathā tvamapi kaunteya samyagetat samācara||
Bhishma continued Thus addressed by his priest, Shakra began to follow those instructions. Do you also, O son of Kunti, practise this virtue.'
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)