Shloka 11
पुत्रका भला चाहनेवाली गधी उस गधेकी नाकमें दुस्सह घाव हुआ देख उसे समझाती हुई बोली--'बेटा! शोक न करो। तुम्हारे ऊपर ब्राह्मण नहीं, चाण्डाल सवार है
putrakā bhalā cāhanevālī gadhī us gadhe kī nāka meṃ duḥsaha ghāva huā dekha use samajhātī huī bolī— “beṭā! śoka na karo. tumhāre ūpara brāhmaṇa nahīṃ, cāṇḍāla savāra hai.”
Bhīṣma said: A she-donkey, affectionately concerned for her young one, saw that the donkey had developed an unbearable sore on its nose. Trying to console and instruct him, she said, “My child, do not grieve. It is not a Brahmin who is riding you—it is a Chandala.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Suffering is often intensified not merely by the burden itself but by the character and discipline of the one who wields power. A restrained, dharmic person (symbolized by ‘Brahmin’) would not cause needless injury, whereas an undisciplined, harsh person (symbolized by ‘Chandala’) does—so one should value self-control and ethical conduct, especially when in a position to command others.
In a brief animal fable narrated by Bhishma, a mother donkey sees her young donkey’s nose wounded from being ridden. She consoles him by explaining that the rider is not a gentle, disciplined person but a rough one—implying the wound comes from the rider’s harsh handling rather than the donkey’s fault.