Shloka 58
पापात्म-धर्मात्म-लक्षणम् तथा निर्वेदेन मोक्षमार्गः | Marks of the Sinful and the Righteous; Dispassion (Nirveda) as a Path to Liberation
चिरायते च संतापाच्चिरं स्वपिति वारित: । आवयोश्िरसंतापाददवेक्ष्य चिरकारिक:
cirāyate ca santāpāc ciraṁ svapiti vāritaḥ | āvayoḥ cirasantāpād adavekṣya cirakārikaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Même lorsque la détresse brûle, il diffère ; et même retenu, il dort encore longtemps. Voyant l’angoisse de longue date de nous deux—ses parents—il agira sûrement à la manière de “Cirakārī”, prenant le temps avant d’accomplir ce qui doit l’être.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between haste and delay: a person known for postponing action may, upon witnessing sustained suffering, still choose to act only after careful observation—suggesting that deliberation (even if slow) is tied to responsibility and the weight of consequences.
Bhishma describes someone called/likened to ‘Cirakārī’—a habitual delayer who even sleeps long despite being stopped. Bhishma says that, seeing the prolonged distress of his parents, he will act in accordance with that ‘Cirakārī’ nature—i.e., he will take time before acting.