Shloka 9
शल्मलि–पवनसंवादः
The Dialogue of Śalmali and Pavana
उदतिष्ठत संघर्षात् सुमहान् हव्यवाहन: । तद् वन॑ वृक्षसम्पूर्ण लताविटपसंकुलम्
udatiṣṭhata saṅgharṣāt sumahān havyavāhanaḥ | tad vanaṁ vṛkṣasampūrṇaṁ latāviṭapasaṅkulam ||
Bhishma dit : De ce frottement violent s’éleva un feu immense, Havyavahana, le porteur des oblations. Cette forêt, pleine d’arbres et enchevêtrée de lianes et de fourrés de branches, fut saisie par la flamme, montrant qu’une force sans frein peut rapidement consumer même ce qui paraît abondant et sûr.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the image of fire born from friction to suggest that conflict and uncontrolled force can quickly escalate and destroy even a flourishing environment; it implicitly commends restraint and foresight as ethical safeguards.
Bhīṣma describes a great fire arising from intense friction and spreading into a forest thick with trees, creepers, and branches, setting the scene for an illustrative example about how destructive power can propagate through dense conditions.