Shloka 41
Kośa, Bala, and Maryādā: Treasury, Capacity, and Enforceable Limits (कोश-बल-मर्यादा)
द्रुमा: केचन सामन्ता ध्रुवं छिन्दन्ति तानपि । ते चापि निपतन्तो<न्यान् निधघ्नन्त्येव वनस्पतीन्
drumāḥ kecit sāmantā dhruvaṃ chindanti tān api | te cāpi nipatanto 'nyān nidhaghnanty eva vanaspatīn |
« Certains arbres tout proches sont assurément abattus eux aussi. Et ces arbres, en tombant, renversent inévitablement d’autres plantes. Par cette comparaison, je rends clair le principe du dharma : lorsque les brahmanes abattent un arbre pour le poteau sacrificiel, l’acte ne demeure pas circonscrit à un seul tronc — le dommage collatéral se propage, atteignant même ceux qui n’étaient pas visés au départ. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma highlights that actions—especially those undertaken for a stated purpose—often produce unavoidable secondary harm. Dharma requires awareness of such cascading consequences and careful judgment, not a narrow focus on the initial intention alone.
Bhīṣma uses a concrete example from ritual practice: when a tree is cut for a sacrificial post, nearby trees are also cut, and falling trunks damage other plants. The image illustrates how one act can propagate destruction beyond its immediate target.