Shloka 18
कपोती-विलापः स्वर्गसंयोगश्च
The Dove’s Lament and Celestial Reunion
ततः कदाचित् तस्याथ वनस्थस्य समन्ततः । पातयन्निव वक्षांस्तान् सुमहान् वातसम्भ्रम:
tataḥ kadācit tasyātha vanasthasya samantataḥ | pātayann iva vakṣāṁs tān sumahān vātasambhramaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : Puis, un jour, tandis qu’il demeurait dans la forêt, un tumulte de vent prodigieux s’éleva de toutes parts. On eût dit que l’élan farouche de l’air abattait tout autour les grands troncs des arbres, soumettant la sauvage étendue à une puissance soudaine et irrésistible.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames nature’s sudden violence as a test of steadiness: one established in dharma—especially in a forest/ascetic setting—must endure upheavals without losing composure or purpose.
A person living in the forest is suddenly surrounded by a powerful wind-storm; the gusts seem to topple the trees, setting a dramatic scene for what follows.