"'Yudhishthira said, "How, O Bharata, should a learned man adorned with
modesty behave, O chastiser of foes, when assailed with harsh speeches in
the midst of assemblies by an ignorant person swelling with conceit?"[346]
"'Bhishma said, "Listen, O lord of earth, how the subject has been treated
of (in the scriptures), how a person of good soul should endure in this
world the abusive speeches of persons of little intelligence. If a
person, when abused by another, do not yield to wrath, he is then sure to
take away (the merit of) all the good deeds that have been done by the
abuser. The endurer, in such a case, communicates the demerit of all his
own bad acts to the person who under the influence of wrath indulges in
abuse. An intelligent man should disregard an abusive language who
resembles, after all, only a Tittibha uttering dissonant cries.[347] One
who yields to hate is said to live in vain. A fool may often be heard to
say, 'Such a respectable man was addressed by me in such words amid such
an assembly of men,' and to even boast of that wicked act. He would add,
'Abused by me, the man remained silent as if dead with shame.' Even thus
does a shameless man boast of an act about which no one should boast.
Such a wretch among men should carefully be disregarded. The man of
wisdom should endure everything that such a person of little intelligence
may say. What can a vulgar fellow do by either his praise or his blame?
He is even like a crow that caws uselessly in the woods. If those who
accuse others by only their words could establish those accusations by
such means, then, perhaps, their words would have been regarded to be of
some value. As a fact, however, these words are as effective as those
uttered by fools invoking death upon them with whom they quarrel.[348]
That man simply proclaims his bastardy who indulges in such conduct and
words. Indeed, he is even like a peacock that dances while showing such a
part of his body as should be ever concealed from the view.[349] A person
of pure conduct should never even speak with that wight of sinful conduct
who does not scruple to utter anything or do anything. That man who speaks
of one's merits when one's eye is upon him and who speaks ill of one when
one's eye is withdrawn from him, is really like a dog. Such a person
loses all his regions in heaven and the fruits of any knowledge and
virtue that he may have.[350] The man who speaks ill of one when one's
eye is not upon him, loses without delay the fruits of all his libations
on fire and of the gifts he may make unto even a hundred persons. A man
of wisdom, therefore, should unhesitatingly avoid a person of such sinful
heart who deserves to be avoided by all honest men, as he would avoid the
flesh of the dog. That wicked-souled wretch who proclaims the faults of a
high-souled person, really publishes (by that act) his own evil nature
even as a snake displays his hood (when interfered with by others). The
man of sense who seeks to counteract such a back-biter ever engaged in an
occupation congenial to himself, finds himself in the painful condition
of a stupid ass sunk in a heap of ashes. A man who is ever engaged in
speaking ill of others should be avoided like a furious wolf, or an
infuriated elephant roaring in madness, or a fierce dog. Fie on that
sinful wretch who has betaken himself to the path of the foolish and has
fallen away from all wholesome restraints and modesty, who is always
engaged in doing what is injurious to others, and who is regardless of
his own prosperity. If an honest man wishes to exchange words with such
wretches when they seek to humiliate him, he should be counselled in
these words: Do not suffer thyself to be afflicted. A wordy encounter
between a high and a low person is always disapproved by persons of
tranquil intelligence. A slanderous wretch, when enraged, may strike
another with his palms, or throw dust or chaff at another, or frighten
another by showing or grinding his teeth. All this is well known. That
man who endures the reproaches and slanders of wicked-souled wights
uttered in assemblies, or who reads frequently these instructions, never
suffers any pain occasioned by speech."'"