Shloka 169
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
शास्त्रजां मतिमास्थाय नून॑ भक्षयिताद्य माम् । जानामि क्षुधितं तु त्वामाहारसमयश्च ते
śāstrajāṁ matim āsthāya nūnaṁ bhakṣayitādya mām | jānāmi kṣudhitaṁ tu tvām āhārasamayaś ca te ||
قال بهيشما: «إنك، اعتمادًا على عزمٍ مؤسَّسٍ على الشاسترا، ستأكلني اليوم لا محالة. إني أعلم أنك جائع، وأن هذا أوان طعامك».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames even a harsh act (being eaten/devoured) within dharma: one should act with awareness of scriptural norms and with compassion for another being’s natural need (hunger), emphasizing restraint, clarity of intention, and ethical accountability.
Bhīṣma addresses an unnamed ‘you,’ acknowledging that the other is hungry and that it is the proper time for food; he anticipates that the other will devour him, and he notes that this decision is being taken under a scripturally grounded resolve.