आशा-कृशता उपाख्यानम्
The Episode on the Emaciation Caused by Hope
स मृगो बाणमादाय ययावमितविक्रम: । सच राजा बलात् तूर्ण ससार मृगयूथपम्,वह मृग बहुत तेज दौड़नेवाला था। वह राजाका बाण लिये-दिये भाग निकला। राजाने भी बलपूर्वक मृगोंके उस यूथपतिका तुरंत पीछा किया
sa mṛgo bāṇam ādāya yayāv amitavikramaḥ | sa ca rājā balāt tūrṇaṃ sasāra mṛgayūthapam ||
সেই হরিণ অমিত বেগে তীরটি নিয়ে পালিয়ে গেল। রাজাও দৃঢ় সংকল্পে দ্রুত সেই মৃগদলের নেতার পিছু নিলেন।
भीष्म उवाच
The verse highlights how forceful impulse and fixation (here, the king’s urgent chase) can drive action; in Śānti Parva’s ethical frame, such momentum invites reflection on restraint, proportionality, and the downstream consequences of pursuit.
A deer snatches the king’s arrow and bolts away. The king immediately gives chase, specifically pursuing the herd’s leader, setting up the next events of the episode.