Rajadharmanushasana Parva — The conduct of a learned man when insulted with harsh words in a court.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Such a wretched wight should carefully be disregarded. The wise man should endure every thing that such a foolish person may say.

What can a vulgar person do by either his praise or blame? He is like a crow that caws uselessly in the forest.

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.

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.

A person of pure conduct should never even speak with that sinful person, who does not scruple to utter anything or do anything.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.