Shloka 8
नृशंस-लक्षणनिर्णयः | Determining the Marks of Cruel Conduct
Nṛśaṃsa
एवं हि राजशार्दूल दुर्बल: सन् बलीयसा । वैरमारभते बालस्तप्यते शाल्मलियीथा
evaṁ hi rājaśārdūla durbalaḥ san balīyasā | vairam ārabhate bālas tapyate śālmalī yathā ||
Bhishma dit : «Ainsi en est-il, ô tigre parmi les rois : l’insensé, bien que faible, engage une querelle avec plus fort que lui ; il ne récolte que la détresse, tel l’arbre śālmalī qui finit brûlé.»
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not initiate hostility beyond one’s capacity: a weak, immature person who provokes a stronger opponent invites inevitable suffering. Ethical strength includes restraint, realistic judgment, and choosing conflicts only when dharma and capability align.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and statecraft, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira) with a warning: reckless enmity—especially by the weak against the strong—leads to self-inflicted misery, illustrated through the śālmalī-tree simile.