Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.21.20
चारु चित्रपदं श्लक्ष्णं मृष्टं गूढमविक्लवम् ।
सर्वेषामुपकारार्थं तदा अनुवदन्निव ॥ २० ॥
cāru citra-padaṁ ślakṣṇaṁ
[chaaru chitra-padam shlakshnam]
mṛṣṭaṁ gūḍham aviklavam
[mrishtam goodham aviklavam]
sarveṣām upakārārthaṁ
[sarveshaam upakaaraartham]
tadā anuvadann iva
[tadaa anuvadann iva]
Word-for-word
cāru
—
beautiful
citra-padam
—
flowery
ślakṣṇam
—
very clear
mṛṣṭam
—
very great
gūḍham
—
meaningful
aviklavam
—
without any doubt
sarveṣām
—
for all
upakāra-artham
—
just to benefit them
tadā
—
at that time
anuvadan
—
began to repeat
iva
—
like.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
cāru citra-padaṁ ślakṣṇaṁ
cāru
beautiful
citra-padam
flowery
ślakṣṇam
very clear
mṛṣṭaṁ gūḍham aviklavam
mṛṣṭam
very great
gūḍham
meaningful
aviklavam
without any doubt
sarveṣām upakārārthaṁ
sarveṣām
for all
upakāra-artham
just to benefit them
tadā anuvadann iva
tadā
at that time
anuvadan
began to repeat
iva
like.
Mahārāja Pṛthu’s speech was very beautiful, full of metaphorical language, clearly understandable and very pleasing to hear. His words were all grave and certain. It appears that when he spoke, he expressed his personal realization of the Absolute Truth in order to benefit all who were present.
Purport
Mahārāja Pṛthu was beautiful in his external bodily features, and his speech was also very glorious in all respects. His words, which were nicely composed in highly metaphorical ornamental language, were pleasing to hear and were not only mellow but also very clearly understandable and without doubt or ambiguity.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Showing unlimited beauty in his limbs, wearing ornaments expertly placed, wearing a black deer skin and shining with kuśa on his finger when required, the ruler of the earth, who had charming pupils in his eyes as cooling as dew, glanced around. Giving joy to the assembly, he resonantly spoke attractive, delightful words which were ornamented with beautiful syllables, faultless, full of allusions, and which were easy to understand, for the benefit of all present.
Personal Guidance
Pṛthu's speech was metaphorical, clear, pleasing, grave, certain — expressing personal realization of the Absolute. The greatest speech combines polish, clarity, weight and personal realization; one without the others is incomplete.
Reflection Questions
- Which element of great speech is most absent from my own — polish, clarity, weight, or realization?
- Where would adding the missing one transform my impact?
My note
Source: vedabase.io