Shloka 21
अध्याय १७८ — प्राणवायुगतिः तथा शारीराग्निव्यवस्था
Adhyāya 178 — The courses of prāṇa-vāyu and the regulation of the bodily fire
अहो नु मम बालिश्यं यो5हं क्रीडनकस्तव । कि नैवं जातु पुरुष: परेषां प्रेष्यतामियात्
aho nu mama bāliśyaṃ yo 'haṃ krīḍanakas tava | ki naivaṃ jātu puruṣaḥ pareṣāṃ preṣyatām iyāt ||
হায়! মোৰ কিমান ডাঙৰ মূৰ্খতা—মই তোমাৰ হাতৰ খেলনা হৈ পৰিছোঁ। যদি এনে নহ’লেহেঁতেন, তেন্তে কোনো বিবেকী পুৰুষে কিদৰে কেতিয়াও আনৰ দাসত্ব স্বীকাৰ কৰিলেহেঁতেন?
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A discerning person should not surrender their agency and dignity into another’s control; accepting servitude born of weakness or delusion is portrayed as a moral and practical error.
Bhishma, speaking in the Shanti Parva, reflects with remorse on having allowed himself to be treated as another’s instrument—likening himself to a toy—and condemns the very idea that a wise man would willingly accept such subjugation.