Shloka 18
कपोती-विलापः स्वर्गसंयोगश्च
The Dove’s Lament and Celestial Reunion
ततः कदाचित् तस्याथ वनस्थस्य समन्ततः । पातयन्निव वक्षांस्तान् सुमहान् वातसम्भ्रम:,तदनन्तर एक दिन वह वनमें ही घूम रहा था कि चारों ओरसे बड़े जोरकी आँधी उठी। वायुका प्रचण्ड वेग वहाँके समस्त वृक्षोंको धराशायी करता हुआ-सा जान पड़ा
tataḥ kadācit tasyātha vanasthasya samantataḥ | pātayann iva vakṣāṁs tān sumahān vātasambhramaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: Then, once, as he was living in the forest, a very great tumult of wind arose on every side. It seemed as though the fierce rush of air was felling the tree-trunks all around, bringing the wilderness under sudden, overpowering force.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames nature’s sudden violence as a test of steadiness: one established in dharma—especially in a forest/ascetic setting—must endure upheavals without losing composure or purpose.
A person living in the forest is suddenly surrounded by a powerful wind-storm; the gusts seem to topple the trees, setting a dramatic scene for what follows.