Śānti Veda · The Work of Just Peace
क्रोध-विलम्बः
krodha-vilambaḥ
Mūla · Original verse
Sanskrit
Anvaya
Plain English meaning
In anger, pause for a moment, attend to the breath, and then speak. Such delay is not weakness but the first strength of wisdom.
Kāvya
Poetic rendering
Between the spark and the hand lies a narrow gate. Through that gate a lineage of vengeance may pass—or end.
Manana
Contemplation
Anger carries information about threat, pain, or violated value; it does not by itself provide an accurate story or a proportionate response.
Prayoga
Civilizational practice
When safe, pause before sending, striking, judging, or publishing. Name the sensation, verify the threat, and choose the least harmful effective action.
Param Veda Upaniṣad · One-to-One Bhāṣya
Sit near the question
The companion moves from words and meaning to inward reflection, public application, boundaries against misuse, dialogue, and practice.
Padārtha · Key terms
krodha — anger; virama — pause; śvāsa — breath; vilamba — delay; prajñā — wisdom; bala — strength
Anvaya · Sequence of meaning
In anger, pause for a moment, attend to the breath, and then speak. Such delay is not weakness but the first strength of wisdom.
Bhāṣya · Commentary
Anger is neither enemy nor ruler. It can signal injury, threat, betrayal, or violated value, but it compresses time and narrows interpretation. The brief pause returns the difference between feeling and command. Attention to breath is not magical; it restores enough bodily steadiness for evidence, proportion, and purpose to re-enter.
Loka-saṃgraha · Civilizational application
Systems facing high-emotion decisions should build pause into design: cooling-off periods, second review, delayed sending, separation of investigator and punisher, and de-escalation protocols. Urgent protection remains possible while retaliatory action waits.
Maryādā · Boundary against misuse
A pause is not always safe. A person under immediate threat should leave, call for help, or act proportionately to protect life. The hymn addresses avoidable reaction, not the freezing of someone who needs to escape.
Praśna–Uttara
Teacher and student
Prayoga · Practice
- 1 Create a delay rule for high-impact messages or sanctions.
- 2 Name the value beneath anger before choosing an action.
Saṅgati · Canonical correspondences