Shloka 3
अध्याय २८१ — दानधर्मः, न्यायागतधनम्, ऋणत्रय-परिशोधनं च
Dāna ethics, lawful wealth, and settling obligations
रोमहर्षश्न तीव्रो5भूज्नि:श्वासश्च महान् नूप । शिवा चाशिवसंकाशा तस्य वक्त्रात् सुदारुणा
romaharṣaś ca tīvro ’bhūj niḥśvāsaś ca mahān nṛpa | śivā cāśivasaṅkāśā tasya vaktrāt sudāruṇā ||
Bhīṣma said: “O king, a violent shudder seized him, and his breathing grew heavy and forceful. From his mouth there issued a dreadful cry—ominous in its very sound, though shaped like an auspicious ‘śivā’ call—signaling a grave turn in what was unfolding.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how inner disturbance and ominous signs accompany morally weighty or fateful moments. In the Shānti context, it supports the ethical idea that actions and intentions have palpable consequences—sometimes reflected as fear, agitation, or ill-omens—urging a ruler to act with restraint and dharma.
Bhīṣma describes a person undergoing an intense physical reaction—shuddering, labored breathing—and emitting a terrifying cry from the mouth. The cry is paradoxically termed ‘śivā’ (auspicious) yet appears inauspicious, functioning as a narrative omen that something grave is occurring or about to occur.