Shloka 15
Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)
पादै: सलिलपानाच्च व्याधीनां चापि दर्शनात् । व्याधिप्रतिक्रियत्वाच्च विद्यते रसन॑ द्रुमे
pādaiḥ salilapānāc ca vyādhīnāṃ cāpi darśanāt | vyādhipratikriyatvāc ca vidyate rasanā drume ||
Bharadvāja dit : «Du fait que les arbres boivent l’eau par leurs “pieds” (les racines), et de l’observation qu’ils souffrent eux aussi de maladies, et encore parce que l’on applique des traitements pour y remédier, il s’ensuit qu’il existe dans l’arbre la faculté du goût, un sens semblable à une langue.»
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bharadvāja argues, using observation and inference, that trees are not inert: since they take in water through roots and can be seen to suffer and be treated for diseases, they must possess an internal sensory faculty—here identified as taste (rasanā). The ethical implication is greater care and restraint toward plant life.
In a reflective discussion characteristic of the Śānti Parva, Bharadvāja presents a reasoned claim about the sentience of trees. He cites practical signs—water uptake through roots, visible ailments, and the application of remedies—to support the conclusion that trees have sense-capacities.