Shloka 20
Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse
स एव च यदा राजन् वल्निर्जातबल: पुनः । समीरणगत।: क्षिप्रं दहेत् कृत्स्नां महीमपि,राजन्! वही आग जब हवाका सहारा पाकर प्रबल हो जाती है, तब सम्पूर्ण पृथ्वीको भी तत्काल भस्म कर सकती है
sa eva ca yadā rājan vahnir jātabalaḥ punaḥ | samīraṇagataḥ kṣipraṃ dahet kṛtsnāṃ mahīm api rājan ||
Bhīṣma said: “O King, that very fire, once it has regained its strength, and when it is carried and fanned by the wind, can swiftly burn even the entire earth. So too, a force that is small when unsupported becomes overwhelmingly destructive when it finds a powerful aid—therefore a ruler must restrain the conditions that amplify harm.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a limited danger can become catastrophic when it gains support and favorable conditions—like fire strengthened by wind. A king should therefore prevent the alliances, incentives, and circumstances that magnify harmful forces, and should act early before they become unmanageable.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the king on governance and restraint. Here he uses a vivid natural image—fire becoming fierce when driven by wind—to warn about how quickly destructive power can spread once it is reinforced.