Shloka 16
चिरकारि-उपाख्यानम् / The Exemplum of Cirakārī: Deliberation Before Irreversible Action
सर्वतः शड़्कते स्तेनो मृगो ग्राममिवेयिवान् । बहुधा5<चरितं पापमन्यत्रैवानुपश्यति
sarvataḥ śaṅkate steno mṛgo grāmam iveyivān | bahudhā caritaṃ pāpam anyatraivānupaśyati ||
Bhīṣma dit : Le voleur se défie et craint tout le monde, tel un cerf égaré dans un village. Ayant maintes fois pratiqué le mal, il s’imagine que la même faute se trouve aussi chez autrui.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wrongdoing breeds inner fear and suspicion: one who has repeatedly acted sinfully tends to project that same intent onto others, living in constant apprehension.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on righteous conduct, he uses a vivid simile: a thief, like a deer trapped in a village, is frightened from every direction, because his own past misdeeds make him expect harm and deceit from others.