Expert critics - परवाच्येषु निपुणः

Everyone Is Always an Expert at Criticizing Others

Everyone is always an expert at criticizing others. People don’t recognize their own shortcomings, and even if they do, they act ignorant.

paravāchyeṣu nipuṇaḥ sarvo bhavati sarvadā ।

ātmavāchyaṃ na jānāti jānannapi vimuhyati ॥

परवाच्येषु निपुणः सर्वो भवति सर्वदा ।

आत्मवाच्यं न जानाति जानन्नपि विमुह्यति ॥

paravAchyeShu nipuNaH sarvo bhavati sarvadA ।

AtmavAchyaM na jAnAti jAnannapi vimuhyati ।।

This is a very simple śloka with simple words. We have all faced people who have criticized us and pointed out our shortcomings. Most of these people are the ones who don’t look in the mirror before stepping out of the house.

It is much easier said than done. But why is it so?

I mean, we know. We know it so well that we could give a three-hour lecture on it to others.

There are a few possible reasons:

• We know it, we know it can be done, and the charm of actually doing it is gone. We have done it many times before.
• We know it, but we just don’t have the discipline or willpower to see it through.
• We don’t know it and want to cover it up.

Interestingly, most people fall into the bottom of the pyramid—the third category.

Some might ask: But why only these categories? Some people don’t criticize others and simply mind their own business.

To that, the answer is: Those who don’t criticize others and mind their own business are so rare that even tigers are trying to save them! Such great people are not seen in our midst—they are already somewhere near the pinnacles of success or peace.

For the rest of us, it is extremely difficult to restrain the tongue.

Language Aspects of the Śloka

(This śloka is from the Mahābhārata, Karṇa Parva.)

• paravāchyeṣu = para-vāchyeṣu = in talking badly about others
• para = other
• vāk = root word for speech
• vāchya = criticism, censure, reprimand (opposite of praise)
• vāchyeṣu = in criticizing (-eṣu suffix denotes "in" for masculine and neuter gender)
• nipuṇaḥ = expert
• sarvo = sarvaḥ = all
• bhavati = becomes, is, happens
• sarvadā = always
• ātmavāchyaṃ = ātma-vāchyam = self-criticism, censure; one’s own shortcomings
• na = not
• jānāti = knows
• jānannapi = even if knowing
• vimuhyati = acts ignorant

(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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