Shloka 5
कपिलगोसंवादे गृहस्थ-त्यागधर्मयोः प्रमाण्यविचारः
Kapila–Cow Dialogue: Authority of Householder and Renunciant Dharmas
स चिन्तयामास मुनिर्जलवासे कदाचन । विप्रेक्ष्य सागरान्तां वै महीं सवनकाननाम्
sa cintayāmāsa munir jalavāse kadācana | viprekṣya sāgarāntāṃ vai mahīṃ savanakānanām ||
Bhishma said: Once, while living in a water-rich coastal region, the sage reflected deeply. Having surveyed the earth stretching to the ocean’s edge—together with its forests and groves—he began to ponder the meaning of life and conduct in the world, setting the stage for an ethical inquiry into right living.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse initiates a moral reflection: a sage, after contemplating the vast world up to the ocean and its natural domains, turns inward to examine right conduct (dharma). It frames ethical inquiry as arising from careful observation of the world and thoughtful self-scrutiny.
Bhishma introduces a scene from the Jājali episode: the sage is residing near the seashore in a water-abundant area, surveys the earth with its forests and groves, and begins to think—preparing for the ensuing discussion on values and proper living.