Shloka 6
Gṛdhra–Jambuka Saṃvāda (Dialogue of the Vulture and the Jackal) — On Grief, Kāla, and Resolve
रमामि सम पुरा कान्त तन्मे नास्त्यद्य किज्चन । मितं ददाति हि पिता मितं भ्राता मितं सुत:
ramāmi sama purā kānta tanme nāstyadya kiñcana | mitaṃ dadāti hi pitā mitaṃ bhrātā mitaṃ sutaḥ ||
Bhishma sprach: „Geliebte, einst lebte ich in Wohlstand und Zufriedenheit; heute habe ich gar nichts. Mein Vater gibt nur wenig, mein Bruder nur wenig, und mein Sohn nur wenig.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly comfort and security are unstable; when one becomes dependent, even close relations may offer only limited support. The verse underscores the ethical need for self-reliance and detachment from expectations, while also hinting at the fragility of material prosperity.
Bhīṣma voices a lament-like reflection to a ‘beloved’ addressee, contrasting former ease with present deprivation, and noting that father, brother, and son each give only a small measure—illustrating the lived reality of scarcity and dependence within familial networks.