One is not a sage by mere silence, if one is confused and ignorant. The wise one is like one holding a balance, taking the best,

Na monena munī hoti — one is not a sage by mere silence: mona is silence; muni is the silent sage. The popular etymology connects both words but the Buddha corrects: external silence does not produce wisdom.

Mūḷharūpo aviddasu — confused and ignorant: mūḷha is confused; aviddasu is ignorant. The silence of the confused is not wisdom but paralysis.

Yo ca tulaṃva paggayha varamādāya paṇḍito — like one holding a balance and taking the best: tulā is the balance scale. The true sage weighs options with discernment, like a merchant weighing goods.

The balance image is fundamental: Buddhist wisdom is discernment (viveka) — the capacity to weigh options and choose the best. It is not empty silence but informed selection.