Shloka 25
स तु शीतहतैगत्रिन जगाम न तस्थिवान् । ददर्श पतितां भूमौ कपोतीं शीतविह्नललाम्,बहेलियेके सारे अंग सर्दीसे ठिठुर गये थे। इसलिये न तो वह चल पाता था और न खड़ा ही हो पाता था। इसी अवस्थामें उसने धरतीपर गिरी हुई एक कबूतरी देखी, जो सर्दीके कष्टसे व्याकुल हो रही थी
sa tu śītahatair gātrair jagāma na tasthivān | dadarśa patitāṃ bhūmau kapotīṃ śītavihvalām ||
But he, his limbs numbed and battered by the cold, could neither walk on nor even stand. In that condition he saw, fallen upon the ground, a female pigeon trembling in distress from the torment of winter.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse prepares an ethical moment: when one encounters a vulnerable being suffering (here, a pigeon overcome by cold), dharma leans toward compassion and protective care, even when one’s own condition is difficult.
A person, incapacitated by severe cold and unable to walk or stand, notices a female pigeon lying on the ground, trembling and distressed from the cold—introducing a situation that will test response and duty.