Shloka 20
Gratitude, Discernment, and the Escalation of Power (Śvā–Dvipī–Vyāghra–Nāga–Siṃha–Śarabha Itihāsa)
व्याप्रं दृष्टवा क्षुधाभुग्नं देष्टिणं वनगोचरम् । दडीपी जीवितरक्षार्थमृषिं शरणमेयिवान्
vyāghraṁ dṛṣṭvā kṣudhābhugnaṁ deṣṭiṇaṁ vanagocaram | dadīpī jīvitarakṣārtham ṛṣiṁ śaraṇam eyivān ||
Bhīṣma dit : Voyant un tigre rôder dans la forêt—le corps brisé par la faim et l’intention tournée vers la cruauté—le léopard, pour sauver sa vie, revint une fois encore chercher refuge auprès du sage. L’épisode souligne que, lorsque surgissent le danger et la prédation, même les forts renoncent à l’orgueil et retournent à l’abri du dharma et de la protection.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When threatened by violence and predation, one should seek śaraṇa (right refuge) and protection through dharma rather than respond with further harm; even powerful beings recognize the moral authority of a righteous protector.
A leopard sees a hungry, hostile tiger roaming the forest and, fearing for its life, returns to the sage it had approached earlier, seeking sanctuary and safety.