Shloka 5
Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant
त॑ं दृष्टयवा जीवयामास सानुक्रोशो धृतव्रत: । स तु दीर्घेण कालेन बभूवातिबलो महान्
taṁ dṛṣṭvā jīvayāmāsa sānukrośo dhṛtavrataḥ | sa tu dīrgheṇa kālena babhūvātibalo mahān ||
Bhishma said: “Seeing him in that condition, the steadfast man, moved by compassion, restored him to life. After a long time had passed, he grew into a great person of extraordinary strength.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Compassion guided by steadfast discipline (dhṛtavrata) is presented as a dharmic force: preserving life is a moral act, and such mercy can enable a person’s future greatness to unfold over time.
A compassionate, vow-steadfast figure sees someone in a perilous state and revives him. Later, over a long period, the revived person becomes exceptionally strong and great, indicating the long-term consequences of a single merciful intervention.