Shloka 17
Ānṛśaṃsya–Bhakti: Śukaḥ Śakreṇa Parīkṣitaḥ
Compassion and Devotion—The Parrot Tested by Indra
निष्पत्रमफलं शुष्कमशरण्यं पतत्रिणाम् | किमर्थ सेवसे वृक्ष यदा महदिदं वनम्
niṣpatram aphalaṃ śuṣkam aśaraṇyaṃ patatriṇām | kimarthaṃ sevase vṛkṣa yadā mahad idaṃ vanam ||
Bhishma dit : «Ô Shuka ! Cet arbre est sans feuilles, sans fruits, desséché ; il n’offre plus d’abri aux oiseaux. Quand cette vaste forêt t’entoure, pourquoi t’attaches-tu à ce simple tronc ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should seek worthy support and wholesome company: clinging to what is barren, dried, and incapable of giving shelter or benefit is irrational when better, life-giving alternatives are available. The verse pushes discernment (viveka) in choosing one’s refuge—materially and morally.
Bhishma addresses Śuka and questions his choice of staying with or relying on a useless, withered tree that cannot provide leaves, fruit, or shelter for birds, despite the presence of a vast forest. The image functions as a moral prompt about why one would attach oneself to an unhelpful support.