Shloka 5
कपिलगोसंवादे गृहस्थ-त्यागधर्मयोः प्रमाण्यविचारः
Kapila–Cow Dialogue: Authority of Householder and Renunciant Dharmas
स चिन्तयामास मुनिर्जलवासे कदाचन । विप्रेक्ष्य सागरान्तां वै महीं सवनकाननाम्
sa cintayāmāsa munir jalavāse kadācana | viprekṣya sāgarāntāṃ vai mahīṃ savanakānanām ||
Bhishma dit : Un jour, tandis qu’il vivait dans une contrée côtière riche en eaux, le sage se mit à réfléchir profondément. Après avoir contemplé la terre s’étendant jusqu’au bord de l’océan — avec ses forêts et ses bosquets — il commença à méditer sur le sens de la vie et la conduite dans le monde, ouvrant la voie à une enquête sur l’art de vivre selon le dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse initiates a moral reflection: a sage, after contemplating the vast world up to the ocean and its natural domains, turns inward to examine right conduct (dharma). It frames ethical inquiry as arising from careful observation of the world and thoughtful self-scrutiny.
Bhishma introduces a scene from the Jājali episode: the sage is residing near the seashore in a water-abundant area, surveys the earth with its forests and groves, and begins to think—preparing for the ensuing discussion on values and proper living.