Shloka 15
आशा-कृशता उपाख्यानम्
The Episode on the Emaciation Caused by Hope
राजन! वह वेगशाली मृग अपनी इच्छासे ही राजाके निकट आ-आकर पुनः बड़े वेगसे आगे भागता था ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | rājan, sa vegavān mṛgaḥ svayameva rājñaḥ samīpam āgatya punar mahāvegāt purato ’padhāvati sma || sa tasya bāṇair bahubhiḥ samabhyastaḥ vane-caraḥ | prakrīḍann iva rājendra punar abhyeti cāntikam ||
Bhishma said: O King, that swift deer would of its own accord come close to the king and then, with great speed, dart ahead again. Though it had been repeatedly struck by many of the king’s arrows, the forest-roaming deer kept returning to the king’s vicinity as if in play—drawing him on again and again.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when a target seems within reach, repeated provocation can be a trap: a ruler should not let excitement, pride, or fascination override discernment. The deer’s ‘playful’ returns illustrate how the mind can be drawn into unwise pursuit despite clear signs of harm or futility.
A swift deer, though pierced by many arrows, repeatedly comes close to the king and then bolts away again, as if teasing him. The scene functions as an illustrative example within Bhishma’s instruction, highlighting the dynamics of lure, pursuit, and the need for controlled judgment.