Shloka 18
Gratitude, Discernment, and the Escalation of Power (Śvā–Dvipī–Vyāghra–Nāga–Siṃha–Śarabha Itihāsa)
त॑ दृष्टवा सम्मुखे द्वीपी आत्मन: सदृशं पशुम् । अविरुद्धस्ततस्तस्य क्षणेन समपद्यत,चीतेने अपने सामने जब अपने ही समान एक पशुको देखा, तब उसका विरोधी भाव क्षणभरमें दूर हो गया
taṁ dṛṣṭvā sammukhe dvīpī ātmanaḥ sadṛśaṁ paśum | aviruddhas tatas tasya kṣaṇena samapadyata ||
Bhīṣma said: Seeing before him an animal of his own kind, the leopard’s hostile impulse subsided at once; within a moment he became non-opposed—his aggression dissolved in recognition of likeness.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Hostility can collapse instantly when one recognizes the other as akin to oneself; perceiving similarity (sadṛśatā) becomes a practical basis for restraint, compassion, and dharmic conduct.
A leopard, coming face-to-face with an animal like itself, immediately loses its opposing, aggressive disposition and becomes non-hostile, illustrating a sudden ethical transformation triggered by recognition.