I feel an eager desire to taste the honey of that speech which will drop from your lips, the honey that will, I am sure, be as sweet as a jet of nectar itself. If I behold anything on earth or in heaven, which is highly delightful and of wonderful aspect but which is unknown to all of you, ye Rishis that look like so many gods, I say that that is in consequence of my own Supreme Nature which is incapable of being obstructed by anything. Anything wonderful whose knowledge dwelleth in me or is acquired by my own inspiration ceases to appear wonderful to me. Anything, however, that is recited by pious persons and that is heard from those that are good, deserves to be accepted with respect and faith. Such discourses exist on earth for a long time and are as durable as characters engraved on rocks. I desire, therefore, to hear, at this meeting something dropping from the lips of persons that are good and that cannot fail to be productive of good to men.' Hearing these words of Krishna all those ascetics became filled with surprise. They began to gaze at Janardana with those eyes of theirs that were as beautiful and large as the petals of the lotus. Some of them began to glorify him and some began to worship him with reverence. Indeed, all of them then hymned the praises of the slayer of Madhu with words whose meanings were adorned with the eternal Riks. All those ascetics then appointed Narada, that foremost of all persons conversant with speech, to gratify the request of Vasudeva.Mbh 13.139.5b · Mahabharata · ANUSASANA PARVA
Mbh 13.139.5b
Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Themes in this passage
SpeechWorshipDesireThe DivineNatureDevotionFaithKarma
Speech in other traditions
The same theme, as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Taoism address it.
Beware of the anger of the tongue, and control thy tongue! Leave the sins of the tongue, and practise virtue with thy tongue!Dhp 17.232 · Dhammapada · Anger
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.1 Corinthians 14:2 · Bible · 1 Corinthians
O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point;Quran 33:70 · Quran · The Allies
He who knows (the Tao) does not (care to) speak (about it); he who is (ever ready to) speak about it does not know it.Tao Te Ching 56.1 · Tao Te Ching
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