Shloka 55
Vyāghra–Gomāyu Saṃvāda (व्याघ्रगोमायु संवाद) — Testing Character Beneath Appearances
कार्यार्थ भोजनार्थेषु व्रतेषु कृतवान् श्रमम् । यदि विप्रत्ययो होष तदिदं दर्शयाम ते,“उसने तो अपना काम बनाने और पेट भरनेके लिये ही व्रत करनेमें परिश्रम किया है। यदि आपको विश्वास न हो तो यह लीजिये, हम अभी उसके यहाँ से मांस ले आकर दिखाते हैं
kāryārtha-bhojanārtheṣu vrateṣu kṛtavān śramam | yadi vipratyayo hoṣa tad idaṃ darśayāma te ||
Bhishma said: “He exerted himself in observing vows only to get his work done and to fill his belly. If you still doubt it, then look—right now we will prove it to you by bringing meat from his very house.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse critiques vows performed for selfish ends—practical advantage or mere sustenance—rather than for dharma. It highlights that the ethical value of religious observance depends on intention, not outward display.
Bhishma alleges that a person’s vow-keeping is motivated by gain and appetite, not genuine restraint. To remove the listener’s doubt, he proposes immediate, concrete proof—bringing meat from the person’s house—exposing inconsistency between claimed austerity and actual conduct.