Shloka 13
Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)
नतासां रक्षणं शक््यं कर्तु पुंसां कथंचन
natāsāṃ rakṣaṇaṃ śakyaṃ kartuṃ puṃsāṃ kathaṃcana
Bhishma said: “In no way can men truly provide protection to those who have surrendered and placed themselves under another’s care. This declares a hard ethical truth: human effort and good intention alone are often insufficient to guarantee safety once one has become wholly dependent; therefore one must act with humility, vigilance, and a sense of accountability, not with overconfidence.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma emphasizes that guaranteeing the safety of those who surrender and become dependent is not fully within human control; therefore, one must avoid arrogance, recognize limits, and treat the duty of protection as a grave moral responsibility requiring constant care.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is speaking in a didactic mode, reflecting on the practical and ethical realities of protection and guardianship—especially the heavy burden incurred when others entrust their safety to someone.