jihvām asūn api tato visṛjet sa dharmaḥ

jihvām asūn api tato visṛjet sa dharmaḥ

 

When the protector of religion, a master, is insulted by uncontrollable people, one should leave that place, blocking one’s ears, if he cannot kill the person or he should die. If possible he should forcibly cut the tongue of the offenders who speak badly and then give up his own life. That is the correct procedure.

 

“Describing the good people, you have forbidden seeing faults in others. But you criticize me, a brāhmaṇa, worshipped by the whole world as a progenitor, and your father as well. You are asādhutara, not seeing any of my good qualities.” She answers by saying “What to speak of just criticizing you, I have committed great offense to Śiva because I should have killed you, who offend Śiva.”   

When the protector of religion (dharmāvitari), a great soul, the master (iśe), is insulted by uncontrollable people, blocking the ears, one should go away, if it is not possible to kill him, or one should kill oneself. If possible, one should forcibly cut out the tongue of the criticizers who speak inauspiciously (ruśatīm). One should then give up one’s own life as atonement from hearing the criticism. Or another meaning is “Having his tongue cut out, the criticizer should give up his life.” That is dharma. Because one destroys the criticizer’s unlimited pain in hell, there is no sin in killing him. This is the method. Because the kṣatriya is qualified for punishing, he should cut out the tongue. Among the other three varṇas, not qualified to punish the criticizer, the vaiśya and śūdra, should punish themselves by giving up their life. Because it is not proper for the brāhmaṇa to give up his life, he should block his ears, remember Viṣṇu, and go away.

 

|| 4.4.18 ||

atas tavotpannam idaṁ kalevaraṁ