SB 11.23.3

SB 11.23.3

Devanagari

न तथा तप्यते विद्ध: पुमान् बाणैस्तु मर्मगै: ।
यथा तुदन्ति मर्मस्था ह्यसतां परुषेषव: ॥ ३ ॥

Verse text

na tathā tapyate viddhaḥ
pumān bāṇais tu marma-gaiḥ
yathā tudanti marma-sthā
hy asatāṁ paruṣeṣavaḥ

Synonyms

na not ; tathā in the same way ; tapyate is caused pain ; viddhaḥ pierced ; pumān a person ; bāṇaiḥ by arrows ; tu however ; marma-gaiḥ going to the heart ; yathā as ; tudanti prick ; marma-sthāḥ attaching within the heart ; hi indeed ; asatām of evil persons ; paruṣa harsh (words) ; iṣavaḥ the arrows.

Translation

Sharp arrows which pierce one’s chest and reach the heart do not cause as much suffering as the arrows of harsh, insulting words that become lodged within the heart when spoken by uncivilized men.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Sharp arrows which pierce one’s chest and reach the heart do not cause as much suffering as the arrows of harsh, insulting words spoken by materialists that become lodged within the heart. Paruṣeṣavaḥ means “arrows of harsh words.”