Acharya Prashant responds to a comment asserting that sages (Rishis and Munis) are cowards because they choose to give sermons instead of resorting to physical actions like slapping someone. He begins by clarifying that slapping someone is not an act of courage but a reaction. Being reactive, he explains, is a form of slavery, where one's actions are dictated by another's stimulus. If someone can be provoked into a predictable response, they are not brave but enslaved by their own reactions. A true sage, or Rishi, is someone who is not reactive. He is a master of his own self and lives from his own center ('atmic'). One cannot extract a predictable reaction from a sage because his actions are not based on any set formula or external provocation. He is internally sovereign ('samprabhu') and completely free. His response to any situation is unpredictable; he might remain silent, retaliate, or even embrace an abuser. His actions are not driven by the outside world but arise from an unknown, inner space. This is why Truth is considered un-inferable and unpredictable. Acharya Prashant refutes the notion that sages have been passive in the world by advising the questioner to read history. He points out that when circumstances demanded it, saints and sages have taken up arms, citing examples like Parashuram, the Sikh Gurus, and Shri Krishna, who delivered the Gita yet was a master of weaponry. The traditional Indian concept of an 'avatar' often includes both a scripture and a weapon, signifying that a sage's actions are not limited by a preconceived notion of non-violence. Finally, he criticizes the commenter's superficial definition of power, which equates it with worldly might like tanks or wealth. He contrasts Emperor Ashoka's worldly power with the spiritual power of the Buddha, before whom Ashoka bowed. The true power of the sages, he concludes, lies in their profound contribution to civilization. They are the ones who have taught humanity about nature, consciousness, the mind, life, liberation, and love, thereby giving us the very etiquette to live as human beings.