Shloka 9
Adhyāya 179 — Bharadvāja’s Reductionist Inquiry into Jīva and Pañcabhūta Dissolution
सामिषं कुररं दृष्टवा वध्यमानं निरामिषै: । आमिषस्य परित्यागात् कुरर: सुखमेधते
sāmiṣaṃ kuraraṃ dṛṣṭvā vadhyamānaṃ nirāmiṣaiḥ | āmiṣasya parityāgāt kuraraḥ sukham edhate ||
Bhīṣma dit : Voyant un oiseau kurara portant de la chair, d’autres oiseaux qui n’en avaient pas l’assaillirent. Lorsqu’il abandonna le morceau, ils cessèrent de le poursuivre. Ainsi, en renonçant à l’appât des plaisirs des sens, le kurara devint paisible et s’épanouit dans le bonheur ; c’est pourquoi il devint un « maître », enseignant le renoncement aux jouissances.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Attachment to tempting possessions (āmiṣa, ‘bait’) invites conflict and suffering; relinquishing the object of craving removes the cause of harassment and brings peace—an ethical lesson in vairāgya (detachment).
A kurara bird flying with a piece of meat is attacked by other birds; when it drops the meat, the attackers stop, and the bird becomes safe and content—serving as an illustrative ‘guru’ for renouncing enjoyments.