Shloka 9
Janamejaya’s Appeal for Pacification and Śaunaka’s Counsel on Humility (जनमेजय-शौनक संवादः)
तस्य तद् वचन श्रुत्वा शकुनेर्लुब्धको<ब्रवीत् । बाधते खलु मे शीतं संत्राणं हि विधीयताम्,कबूतरकी यह बात सुनकर व्याधने कहा--“इस समय मुझे सर्दीका कष्ट है; अतः इससे बचानेका कोई उपाय करो'
tasya tad vacanaṁ śrutvā śakuner lubdhako 'bravīt | bādhate khalu me śītaṁ saṁtrāṇaṁ hi vidhīyatām ||
Bhīṣma said: Hearing those words of the dove, the hunter—an agent of Shakuni—replied, “Indeed, the cold troubles me now; therefore, arrange some protection for me.” In the ethical frame of the episode, the pursuer shifts the appeal from violence to personal need, testing whether compassion and duty will extend even to one who threatens another.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic test: whether one’s duty of compassion and protection (saṁtrāṇa) is offered impartially, even when the requester is connected to harm or pursuit. Ethical conduct is measured by consistency under pressure.
After hearing the dove’s words, the hunter—linked to Shakuni—speaks up, complaining of the cold and asking for shelter. The request reframes the encounter from chasing prey to seeking relief, setting up a moral dilemma about how to treat the pursuer.