Shloka 176
Adhyāya 118: Saciva-parīkṣā
Testing and Appointment of Ministers/Servants
फलमूलाशनं कर्तु नैच्छतू स पिशिताशन: । शरभ भी अत्यन्त प्रसन्न हो सदा प्राणियोंके वधमें तत्पर रहता था। वह मांसभोजी जीव फल-मूल खानेकी कभी इच्छा नहीं करता था
phalamūlāśanaṃ kartuṃ naicchatū sa piśitāśanaḥ | śarabho 'tyanta-prasanno hi sadā prāṇi-vadhe tatparaḥ | sa māṃsabhogī jīvaḥ phala-mūla-khādanāya kadācana necchati sma ||
Bhishma dijo: Aquel devorador de carne no tenía deseo alguno de adoptar una dieta de frutos y raíces. En verdad, el Śarabha se complacía en extremo en su propia naturaleza y estaba siempre inclinado a dar muerte a los seres vivientes. Siendo criatura carnívora, jamás anheló comer frutos y raíces.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ingrained disposition and habitual conduct shape ethical choices: a being devoted to killing and flesh-eating does not naturally incline toward a harmless, restrained diet. It implicitly points to the difficulty of turning from violence to non-violence without deliberate transformation.
Bhishma describes the Śarabha as a carnivorous creature that takes delight in hunting and killing. Because of this predatory nature, it refuses to adopt fruit-and-root eating, reinforcing the portrayal of its constant readiness for violence.